Solvent Extraction of Ti(IV) from Hydrochloric Acid Leaching Solution of Ilmenite

ABSTRACT

A hydrochloric acid leaching solution of ilmenite contains Fe(III) and Ti(IV) and small amount of Mn(II) and Si(IV). Solvent extraction was employed to separate Ti(IV) and Fe(III) from the leaching solution. The co-extracted Ti(IV) was scrubbed from the loaded Alamine 300 by using a pure Fe(III) solution with 9 M HCl. Ti(IV) was then selectively extracted from the Fe(III) free raffinate by using PC88A. Fe(III) and Ti(IV) were successfully stripped from the loaded Alamine 300 and PC88A by distilled water and sulfuric acid containing hydrogen peroxide, respectively. Moreover, McCabe–Thiele diagrams for the stripping of Fe(III) and Ti(IV) were constructed. Fe(III) and Ti(IV) solutions with purity higher than 99.9% were produced. A hydrometallurgical process was developed to recover pure TiO₂ from ilmenite.

KEYWORDS:

• Titanium dioxide
• ilmenite
• solvent extraction
• separation

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by National Research Foundation of Korea (2018R1D1A1BO7044951). We gratefully thank the Gwangju branch of the Korea Basic Science Institute (KBSI) for ICP data.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea [2018R1D1A1BO7044951].