Vanadium, Titanium, and Iron Extraction from Titanomagnetite Ore by Salt Roasting and 21st-Century Solvents

Vanadium is a strategic metal with critical applications in steel alloys, aerospace, chemical catalysis, and energy storage. However, conventional extraction methods such as high-temperature salt roasting are energy-intensive and environmentally challenging. This study investigated the extraction of V, Ti, and Fe from titanomagnetite ore using aqueous solutions of two ionic liquids (IL), 1-butyl-3-imidazolium hydrogen sulphate ([Bmim][HSO4], and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [Bmim][PF6]) as well as two deep eutectic solvents (DESs) (choline chloride:oxalic acid and choline chloride:succinic acid). Na2CO3 and Na2SO4 roasting were used as benchmarks for comparison purposes. Leaching was performed across a range of concentrations and temperatures, and metal recoveries were quantified by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). Among all methods, ChCl:OA DES achieved the best leaching efficiencies of 97.6% for V, 76.1% for Ti, and 68.8% for Fe at 50% (v/v) and 100 °C, outperforming [Bmim][HSO4] and conventional roasting. Kinetic analysis using the shrinking core model indicated that leaching is predominantly diffusion-controlled, with apparent activation energies of 35.1 kJ/mol for V, 28.3 kJ/mol for Ti, and 29.8 kJ/mol for Fe. The results demonstrate that ChCl:OA DES provides a low-temperature, biodegradable, and cost-effective approach for V, Ti and Fe extraction, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional salt roasting methods.