Titanium Dioxide Production from Low-Grade Ilmenite Ore: Mineral Characterization and Optimization

The characterization of low-grade ilmenite ore from Banten (Indonesia) is investigated, as well as the effects of particle size, NaOH:Ti ratio, and fusion time on Ti and Fe content in TiO2 products. Mineral separation of low-grade ilmenite ore was performed using wet gravity, followed by sieving. Each sample size’s magnetization (using 10,000 Gauss magnets) is followed by weighing the magnetization results. The sifted and magnetized samples were then analyzed with XRF for composition analysis and XRD for compound determination. FE-SEM was applied to analyze morphology. A microscope was used for metalografi analysis. The fusion temperature of the optimization process was determined using STA. Fusion times were 10, 30, 60, 90, and 150 minutes at 850°C, with a NaOH:Ti ratio (w/w) of 1:2, 2:1, and 4:1, and particle sizes of 0.177-0.149 mm, 0.149-0.105 mm, and 0.105-0.074 mm. The minerals ilmenite (FeTiO3), magnetite (Fe3O4), and coesite (SiO2) dominate the characterization of Banten low-grade ilmenite ore. Sixty minutes of fusion at 850°C with a 2:1 NaOH:Ti ratio (w/w) and 0.177-0.149 mm with 94.44% TiO2 in a product was optimal.