Preparation of Ti-rich material from titanium slag by activation roasting followed by acid leaching

A method of activation roasting followed by acid leaching using titanium slag was introduced to prepare Ti-rich material. The effects of HaPO4 dosage, roasting temperature, and roasting time on TiO2 grade were investigated. A Ti-rich material containing 88.54% TiO2, 0.42% （CaO＋MgO） was obtained when finely ground titanium slag was roasted with 7.5% H3PO4 at 1000 ℃ for 2 h, followed by a two-stage leaching in boiling dilute sulfuric acid for 2 h. The XRD patterns show that the product is titanium dioxide with a rutile structure. Mechanism studies show that structures of anosovite solid solution and silicate minerals are destroyed in the roasting process. As a result, titanium components in titanium slag are transformed into TiO2 （futile） while impurities are transformed into acid-soluble phosphate and quartz.

Removal of magnesium and calcium from electric furnace titanium slag by H_3PO_4 oxidation roasting-leaching process

H3PO4 oxidation roasting followed by HCl acid leaching was proposed to remove magnesium and calcium from electric furnace titanium slag containing 3.12% MgO and 0.86% CaO. XRF, XRD and SEM techniques were used to characterize the composition, mineral phase component and microstructure of the titanium slag. The H3PO4 oxidation thermodynamic, mineral phase transformation, microstructure, element distribution in titanium slag during H3PO4 oxidation process and leaching process were investigated. The thermodynamic analysis indicated that H3PO4 could promote the decomposition of MgTi2O5 and CaSiO3. The results indicated that H3PO4 could effectively promote the transformation of titanium-bearing mineral to rutile and enrich the impurities in MxTi（3-x）O5 into phosphate which could be removed by acid leaching process. Under the studied conditions, the leaching rates of magnesium and calcium reached 94.68% and 87.19%, respectively. The acid leached slag containing 0.19% MgO and 0.13% CaO（mass fraction） was obtained.

Preparation of TiCl4 with the Titanium Slag Containing Magnesia and Calcia in a Combined Fluidized Bed

This paper describes a new method for producing TiCl4 by chloridizing materials of high content CaO and MgO, in which a combined fluidized bed is used as a reactor to avoid agglomeration between particles caused by molten CaCl2 and MgCl2. The combined fluidized bed consists of at least a riser tube and a semi-circulating fluidized bed. Two kinds of high titanium slag, in which the total mass content of CaO and MgO is 2.03% and 9.09% respectively, are employed to examine the anti-agglomeration effect and the conversion of the materials when the temperature ranges are between 923.15K and 1073.15K, gas apparent velocity 0.7--1.1m.s-1, and inlet amount of solid materials is 4.6-7.0kg·h^-1. It is found that the anti-agglomeration effect in the combined fluidized bed is satisfactory and the new method can achieve a TiCl4 production capacity of 14.0-75.4t·m^-2·d^-1 in relation to 25.0-- 40.0t·m^-2·d^-1 from the conventional bubble bed. Furthermore, low-temperature chloridization, for example, at 923K or 973K, can also be used to produce TiCl4 and avoid agglomeration.

Decomposition of acid dissolved titanium slag from Australia by sodium hydroxide

The kinetics of the decomposition of acid dissolved titanium slag with a sodium hydroxide system under atmospheric pressure was studied. The effect of reaction temperature, particle size and NaOH-to-slag mass ratio on titanium extraction was investigated. The results show that temperature and particle size have significant influence on titanium extraction. The experimental data of titanium extraction show that the shrinking core model with chemical reaction controlled process is most applicable for the decomposition of slag, with an apparent activation energy of 62.4 kJ.mol^-1. Approximately 85 wt.%-90 wt.% of the titanium can be extracted from the slag under the optimal conditions. In addition, the purity of titanium dioxide obtained in the product is up to 98.5 wt.%.

Green evaluation of microwave-assisted leaching process of high titanium slag on life cycle assessment

A greenness evaluation index and system of microwave-assisted leaching method were established.The effects of the life cycle assessment variables,such as the resource consumption,environment impact,cost,time and quality,were investigated,and the concept of green degree was applied in the production of synthetic rutile.An analytic hierarchy process was utilized to assess matrix of greenness evaluation.The Gauss-Seidel iterative matrix method was employed to solve the assessment matrix and obtain the weights and membership functions of all evaluation indexes.A fuzzy decision-making method was applied to build the greenness evaluation model,and then the scores of green degree in microwave-assisted leaching process was obtained.The greenness evaluation model was applied to the life cycle assessment of the microwave-assisted leaching process.The results show that the microwave-assisted leaching process has advantages over the conventional ones,with respect to energy-consumption,processing time and environmental protection.

Appropriate titanium slag composition during smelting of vanadium titanomagnetite metallized pellets

The suitable titanium slag composition with high titanium content for electric furnace smelting of vanadium titanomagnetite was investigated through thermodynamics and related phase diagram analysis.According to the thermodynamic results,low-melting-point regions and MgTi2O5primary phase area in the phase diagrams,the suggested titanium slag composition for the present vanadium titanomagnetite metallized pellets should consist of50%TiO2,8%-12%MgO and13%Al2O3(mass fraction)with a binary basicity of0.8-1.2.Finally,the verified smelting experiments were conducted and successful separation of the molten iron from the titanium slag is obtained.The obtained vanadium-containing molten iron contains0.681%V and0.267%Ti,and the obtained titanium slag contains52.21%TiO2(mass fraction),in which MgTi2O5is the primary phase.The titanium resource in the final titanium slag production could be used to produce TiO2pigment by acid leaching methods.

Microwave absorbing properties of high titanium slag

Microwave absorbing properties of high titanium slag were investigated by using microwave cavity perturbation technique. High titanium slag containing more than 90% TiO2 was prepared by carbothermal reduction of ilmenite. The temperature rise curve of high titanium slag in microwave heating process was obtained. Crystalline compounds of high titanium slag before and after microwave irradiation were obtained and characterized by X-ray diffractometry （XRD）. Effects of particle size of high titanium slag anal mixtures of high titanium slag with different mass fractions of V2o5 on microwave absorbing properties were investigated systematically. The results show that high titanium slag has good microwave absorption property; untreated high titanium slag mainly consists of crystalline compounds of anatase and iron titanium oxide, while the microwave-irradiation treated one is mainly composed of crystalline compounds of rutile and irgn titanium oxide. Synthetic anatase is transformed completely into rutile at about 1 050 ℃ for 20 min under microwave irradiation. High frequency shift and low amplitude of voltage make high titanium slag an ideal microwave absorbent. 180 μm of particle size and 10% mass fraction of V2O5 are found to be the optimum conditions for microwave absorption.

Phase conversion and removal of impurities during oxygen-rich alkali conversion of high titanium slag

In order to achieve high-efficiency alkali conversion and impurity removal of high titanium slag under the condition of low alkali concentration,a new way of oxygen-rich alkali conversion in KOH solution was proposed.The conversion law of element occurrence state and the influence of the conversion conditions on the titanium conversion rate and removal rate of silicon and aluminum were studied.The results showed that the KOH solution converted the titanium oxide in high titanium slag into whisker-like potassium titanate.Silicon and aluminum elements were dissolved into the solution.Under the following conditions,KOH concentration of 6 mol/L,conversion temperature of 260℃,initial oxygen partial pressure of 2 MPa,liquid−solid ratio of 35 mL/g,conversion time of 4 h,and high titanium slag particle size of 48−74μm,the conversion rate of titanium was 97.0%,and the removal rates of silicon and aluminum were 90.2%and 76.2%,respectively.Oxygen-rich alkali conversion product was converted to rutile with a TiO_(2) grade of 99.1%by acid hydrolysis conversion.

Influence of Anthracite-to-Ilmenite-Ratio on Element Distribution in Titanium Slag Smelting in Large DC Furnaces

The distribution of titanium,carbon and associated elements(calcium,magnesium,silicon and aluminum)in a smelting process is studied by means of a chemical equilibrium calculation method for multiphase and multicomponent systems,and verified through comparison with production results.In particular,using the coexistence theory for titanium slag structures,the influence of the AIR(anthracite to ilmenite ratio)on the distribution of such elements is analyzed.The results show that the AIR can be adjusted to achieve a selective reduction of oxides in the melt.

Recovery of Titanium from the Rich Titanium Slag by H2SO4 Method

The blast furnace slag bearing Ti02 in Panzhihua, China, is an important resource to be utilized. In the present paper, the effects of the ratio of slag to H2S04, the reaction temperature, the particle size of the slag, and the concentration of H2S04 on the reaction rate and the acidolysis ratio of Ti were studied. The results indicated that the maximum acidolysis ratio reached 98%, which can serve as an experimental basis for the production of titania from the slag.

Numerical simulation of coupling multi-physical field in electrical arc furnace for smelting titanium slag

The smelting reduction process of the ilmenite in an electric arc furnace(EAF)is a commonly used technology for producing titanium slag in the world.It has particular significance to analyze the velocity-temperature-electromagnetics multi-physical field in an EAF for improving its productivity and reducing energy consumption.A transient three-dimensional mathematical model was developed to characterize the flow,heat transfer,and electromagnetic behavior in a titanium slag EAF.For describing the electromagnetic field and its effects on velocity and temperature distribution in the furnace,magnetohydrodynamic equations and conservation equations for mass,momentum,and energy were solved simultaneously by compiling the user-defined function program.The numerical model was verified by comparing with the literature data.The results indicate that the Lorentz force is the main driving force of the velocity and temperature distribution.Moreover,the influence of input current and location of electrodes on the multi-physical field distribution was also investigated.It is found that the appropriate range of input current and diameter of pitch circle are about 30,000 A and 3000-3500 mm,respectively.The mathematical model established can characterize the multi-physical field more accu-rately than before,which can provide valuable guidance for the operation improvement and design optimization of the EAF for producing titanium slag.

Recovery of titania from high titanium slag by roasting method using concentrated sulfuric acid

By means of energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analysis, the phase structure characteristics of high titanium slag were analyzed. Through the single factor and the orthogonal experiment methods, the effects of material particle size, mass ratio of acid to ore, roasting temperature, and roasting time on the acidolysis ratio of TiO2 during the process of roasting high titanium slag with concentrated sulfuric acid were systematically investigated. The results show that the sequence of each factor affecting the acidolysis ratio of TiO2 is: mass ratio of acid to ore, roasting time, and roasting temperature. The optimum technological conditions are obtained as mass ratio of acid to ore of 2.1, roasting temperature of 310°C, roasting time of 75min, and material particle size of 45–53μm. The acidolysis ratio of TiO2 is over 96% under the optimum conditions. The roasting process is proved to be significant in the exploitation and utilization of high titanium slag. The advantages of the proposed roasting process are of high efficiency, low power consumption, and minimum pollution.

Mineral phase reconstruction behavior of direct reduction and smelting titanium slag at high temperature and slow cooling

Titanium slag in this study was produced by subjecting titanomagnetite concentrate to direct reductionelectric furnace smelting. Processing mineralogy and mineral phase reconstruction behavior at high temperature and slow cooling treatment were examined by chemical analysis, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, and energydispersive spectroscopy （EDS）. Anosovite solid solution is the main titanium product by the direct reduction and smelting process. Results of slow-cooling experiments show that crystal volume and size increase as cooling rate decreases. Anosovite and gangue mineral crystals develop fully with large crystal volume and size at a cooling rate of 2 K.min-1. Moreover, the growth of anosovite crystal was characterized by crystal nucleation and growth theory. These results provide further insights into the separation of anosovite from gangue by mineral processing.

Effect of oxidization on enrichment behavior of TiO_2 in titanium-bearing slag

Due to the dispersed distribution of the titanium component in various mineral phases and very fine grain size, it is difficult to recover the titanium component from the slag. In order to utilize titanium resources, selective enriching and selective growing of the titanium component from the molten slag is expected. In this paper, the selection of the best titanium enrichment phase and the effect of oxidization on the enrichment of titanium by blowing air into the molten slag were studied. The results showed that through oxidizing the slag, the content of the perovskite phase increases while that of the other titanium-bearing mineral phases decreases until they disappear. Most titania resources were enriched into the perovskite phase and increase in size. The process of enrichment and growth is easily carried out.

Preparation of titanium dioxide from titania-rich slag by molten NaOH method

Preparing titanium dioxide from titania-rich slag （TiO2 73wt%） by molten NaOH method has been developed. The effects of temperature and reaction time on the titanium conversion were investigated. The results showed that temperature had significant influence on the titanium conversion as well as the structure of the product. About 92% of titanium in the titania-rich slag could be converted after reacting with NaOH at 500℃ for 1 h. Metatitanic acid was formed through the steps of washing treatment, acid dissolution, and hydrolysis. Well-dispersed spherical titanium dioxide particles with an average size of 0.1-0.4μm can be obtained by calcination of metatitanic acid. In addition, the content of titanium dioxide in the product is up to 98.6wt%, which can be used as pigments after further treatment of coating and crushing.

Isothermal precipitation and growth process of perovskite phase in oxidized titanium bearing slag

The isothermal precipitating behavior of perovskite phase in oxidized titanium bearing slag was studied by quenching method.The kinetics of precipitating process and crystal growth of perovskite phase was analyzed.The results show that the precipitating and growth of perovskite are non-equilibrium process at the beginning of isothermal treatment.There are two factors influencing the growth rate of perovskite phase on non-equilibrium condition,one is the supersaturation concentration of perovskite and the other is the coarsening arising from the growth of larger perovskite at the expense of smaller ones.The precipitation kinetics of perovskite phase can be nearly described by the JMAK equation.

Indirect mineral carbonation of titanium-bearing blast furnace slag coupled with recovery of TiO_2 and Al_2O_3

Large quantities of CO2 and blast furnace slag are discharged in the iron and steel industry. Mineral carbonation of blast furnace slag can offer substantial CO2 emission reduction and comprehensive utilization of the solid waste. This paper describes a novel route for indirect mineral carbonation of titanium-bearing blast furnace （TBBF） slag, in which the TBBF slag is roasted with recyclable （NH4）2SO4 （AS） at low temperatures and converted into the sulphates of various valuable metals, including calcium, magnesium, aluminium and titanium. High value added Ti-and Al-rich products can be obtained through stepwise precipitation of the leaching solution from the roasted slag. The NH3 produced during the roasting is used to capture CO2 from flue gases. The NH4HCO3 and （NH4）2CO3 thus obtained are used to carbonate the CaSO4-containing leaching residue and MgSO4-rich leaching solution, respectively. In this study, the process parameters and efficiency for the roasting, carbonation and Ti and Al recovery were investigated in detail. The results showed that the sulfation ratios of calcium, magnesium, titanium and aluminium reached 92.6%, 87% and 84.4%, respectively, after roasting at an AS-to-TBBF slag mass ratio of 2：1 and 350℃ for 2 h. The leaching solution was subjected to hydrolysis at 102℃ for 4 h with a Ti hydrolysis ratio of 95.7%and the purity of TiO2 in the calcined hydrolysate reached 98 wt%. 99.7% of aluminium in the Ti-depleted leaching solution was precipitated by using NH3. The carbonation products of Ca and Mg were CaCO3 and （NH4）2Mg（CO3）2·4H2O, respectively. The latter can be decomposed into MgCO3 at 100-200℃ with simultaneous recovery of the NH3 for reuse. In this process, approximately 82.1% of Ca and 84.2% of Mg in the TBBF slag were transformed into stable carbonates and the total CO2 sequestration capacity per ton of TBBF slag reached up to 239.7 kg. The TiO2 obtained can be used directly as an end product, while the Al-rich precipitate and the two carbonation products can act, respectively, as raw materials for electrolytic aluminium, cement and light magnesium carbonate production for the replacement of natural resources.

Effects of MgO and TiO_2 on the viscous behaviors and phase compositions of titanium-bearing slag

The effects of MgO and TiO_2 on the viscosity, activation energy for viscous flow, and break-point temperature of titanium-bearing slag were studied. The correlation between viscosity and slag structure was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared（FTIR） spectroscopy. Subsequently, main phases in the slag and their content changes were investigated by X-ray diffraction and Factsage 6.4 software package. The results show that the viscosity decreases when the MgO content increases from 10.00wt% to 14.00wt%. Moreover, the break-point temperature increases, and the activation energy for viscous flow initially increases and subsequently decreases. In addition, with increasing TiO_2 content from 5.00wt% to 9.00wt%, the viscosity decreases, and the break-point temperature and activation energy for viscous flow initially decrease and subsequently increase. FTIR analyses reveal that the polymerization degree of complex viscous units in titanium-bearing slag decreases with increasing MgO and TiO_2 contents. The mechanism of viscosity variation was elucidated. The basic phase in experimental slags is melilite. Besides, as the MgO content increases, the amount of magnesia–alumina spinel in the slag increases. Similarly, the sum of pyroxene and perovskite phases in the slag increases with increasing TiO_2 content.

Preparation and visible-light photocatalytic property of nanostructured Fe-doped TiO_2 from titanium containing electric furnace molten slag

Nanostructured Fe-doped titanium dioxide was synthesized from titanium containing electric furnace molten slag （TCEFMS） by using an alkali fusion, followed by a hydrolyzation-acidolysis-cMcination route. The effects of Mkali/slag mass ratio, calcinating temperature, calcinating time, and water/slag mass ratio on the extraction efficiency and purity of products were systematically studied in this paper. It is indicated that the best extraction efficiency of nanostructured Fe- doped titanium dioxide is 99.35%, when the molten slag is calcinated at 700℃ for 1 h with the mass ratio of alkali/molten slag of 1.5：1. The influence of alkali/slag mass ratio on the photocatalytic activity of final products was evaluated by the photodegradation of methyl blue under visible light irradiation. A maximum photodegradation efficiency of 88.12% over 30 min was achieved under the optimum conditions.

Titanium Transfer in Slag/Metal Systems for Ironmaking

The smelting of titaniferous magnetite in blast fuynace in China is unique in the nature of problems and their solutions. Fundamentals of this successful technology will be discussed. Topics to be covered are: (1) the characteristics of high content TiO_2 in blast furnace slag; (2) influence of various factors on Ti transfer process; (3) raising oxygen potential for adequate fluidity of the slag with TiO_2 in the range of 25-30 wt-% and stability of TiC and TiN in slag.