Vacuum Carbothermic Reduction of Panzhihua Ilmenite Concentrate: A Thermodynamic Study

ABSTRACT

Electric arc furnace is mainly used in the production of high titania slag; however, since impurities cannot be eliminated, this causes difficulty in the production of titania pigment with chlorination process. Consequently, removing impurities is the crucial way to deal with low-grade ilmenite, especially for the Panzhihua ilmenite concentrate in China. This article studied the theoretical calculation of vacuum carbothermic reduction of Panzhihua ilmenite concentrate. Thus, when the temperature was higher than 1600°C and the carbon amount was greater than 12%, all of the Fe almost entered into the gas phase. When the temperature was higher than 1300°C and the carbon amount was greater than 14%, magnesium also entered the gas phase. When the temperature was higher than 1100°C, most of the element manganese was volatilized in the gas phase. The TiO₂ grade increased with the increase in carbon amount (14%). When the temperature was higher than 1600°C and the carbon amount was less than 14%, the TiO₂ grade in the slag phase could reach the maximum value, which can be used for the chlorination process to prepare titanium dioxide.

KEYWORDS:

• Panzhihua ilmenite concentrate
• thermodynamic
• titania slag
• vacuum carbothermic reduction

Acknowledgments

The authors are especially grateful to Natural and Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 51404080), the Foundation of Science & Technology Department of Guizhou Province, China (Guizhou Grant J Word No. [2014] 2073) and the Doctor founding of Guizhou University (Guizhou University J Word No. [2013] 37).