Microlaboratory study on magnetic,gravity and high-tension separation of hercynite and pleonaste from low-grade ilmenite concentrates

Some ilmenite concentrates obtained from oleate flotation of ilmenite ores from NE Poland contain less than the required 45% TiO₂ due to the presence of green spinels (hercynite and pleonaste). Such concentrates were further upgraded by different separation techniques. It was established at microlaboratory scale that magnetic, gravity and high-tension separations can provide qualified ilmenite concentrates with TiO₂ recovery in the order of 50 to 80%.     

Heavy mineral distribution and characterisation of ilmenite of Kayamkulam — thothapally Barrier Island, southwest coast of India

Mineral concentration and ilmenite characterization of the Thothapally — Kayamkulam Barrier Island of the southern Kerala has been studied. 96.86% concentrations of heavy minerals are recorded in the surficial and core samples (4 m) in the southern Kayamkulam and northern Thothapally areas. The total heavy mineral content decreases with depth. The primary heavy mineral suite of the surficial and core samples consists of ilmenite, sillimanite, zircon, garnets, rutile, monazite and magnetite. Longshore current and onshore-offshore movements of sediment during the southwest monsoon are primarily responsible in sorting of the heavy minerals. TiO₂ content in ilmenite is significantly higher in the Kayamkulam core sediments than the surface samples. XRD analysis supports intensive weathering and alteration leading to the higher TiO₂ concentration. Higher percentage of ferric iron than ferrous iron in the core samples reveals that considerable weathering occurred under burial condition. SEM examination of ilmenite grains reveal the presence of solution pit, chemical leaching, corrosion and replacement textures, supporting the intense epigenetic alteration and weathering under subaerial condition and post-depositional changes by water-table condition.     

Sapphirine and spinel phase relationships in the system FeO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-TiO2-O2 in the presence of quartz and hypersthene

Sapphirine and spinel can accommodate significant ferric iron and therefore the mineral equilibria involving these phases must be sensitive to a(O₂). In this paper we examine the theoretical phase relationships involving sapphirine and spinel in addition to sillimanite, garnet, cordierite, rutile, hematite-ilmenite solid solution (henceforth ilmenite), and magnetite-ulvospinel solid solution (henceforth magnetite), in the presence of quartz and hypersthene in the system FeO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂-TiO₂-O₂ (FMASTO), with particular reference to the topological inversion in P-T postulated by Hensen (Hensen 1986). Documented natural associations suggest that the appropriate topology for assemblages involving magnetite and ilmenite is Hensen's higher a(O₂) one, while, in contrast, the topology for assemblages involving ilmenite and rutile is the lower a(O₂) one. The exact configuration of the inversion between these two topologies remains uncertain because of uncertainties in the ferric/ferrous iron partitioning between sapphirine and spinel-cordierite at high temperatures. By comparison with experimental data and natural occurences, the sillimanite-sapphirine-cordierite-garnet-hypersthene-quartz assemblage is in equilibrium at about 1000°–1020° C and 7–8 kbars, while sapphirine-cordierite-spinel-garnet-hypersthene-quartz occurs at temperatures in excess of those attainable during crustal metamorphism, for ilmenite-rutile buffered assemblages. This implies that sapphirine-rutil-ehypersthene-quartz assemblages, as found in the Napier Complex, Antarctica, can only occur at > 1000° C. Also, spinel-rutile-hypersthene-quartz assemblages should not be found in rocks because temperatures in excess of 1100° C are expected to be involved in their formation. The temperatures of formation of spinel-sillimanite-sapphirine-garnethypersthene-quartz, sapphirine-spinel-cordierite-sillimanite-hypersthene-quartz, and sillimanite-spinel-cordieritegarnet-hypersthene-quartz in assemblages buffered by magnetite and ilmenite are less well constrained, but are likely to be in the range 900°–1000° C. These conclusions apply to rocks with compositions close to FMASTO; the perturbing effects of substantial concentrations of additional components, in particular Ca, mainly in garnet, and Zn and Cr, mainly in spinel, may invalidate these conclusions.     

Effect of mineralogy and texture in the TiO2 pigment production process of the Tellnes ilmenite concentrate

Summary The mineralogy and textural relationships of the Tellnes ilmenite concentrate were determined to evaluate the effect of mineralogical characteristics of the raw material on sulphate-route TiO₂ pigment production. It was found that the presence of hematite exsolutions and their grain size, twinning, the amount of ferric iron in the ilmenite, and the grain size distribution of the feed material affected the solubility of the ilmenite concentrate. Structural discontinuities, such as twinning, favoured the leaching of ilmenite grains. Depending on the size and distribution of exsolved hematite, there is a good correlation between the degree of dissolution of ilmenite and the amount of exsolved hematite from ilmenite. On the other hand, the coarser the ilmenite grain in the digestion step is the lesser the solubility. The quantity of trace elements, such as Cr and V, and their provenances in the mineral lattices normally affect the quality of the pigment. Their concentrations in the Tellnes ilmenite, however, are associated with the exsolved hematite which does not go into solution. Mg affects the precipitation process, and the MgO content of the concentrate is 4% which is mainly bound in ilmenite lattices. In contrast, MgO rises to 10% in unreacted solids due to the accumulation of insoluble Mg-bearing silicates.

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Der Effekt von Mineralogie und Textur auf den Produktionsprozeß von TiO₂ Pigmenten aus Ilmenit-Konzentraten von Tellnes

Zusammenfassung Die Mineralogie und die texturellen Beziehungen der Ilmenit-Konzentrate von Tellnes wurden untersucht, um den Effekt der mineralogischen Charakteristika des Rohmaterials auf die sulfatische TiO₂ Pigmetproduktion zu evaluieren. Es wurde herausgefunden, dass die Anwesenheit von Hämatit-Entmischungen und deren Korngröße, Verzwilligung, der Anteil an dreiwertigem Eisen im Ilmenit und die Korngrößenverteilung des aufgegeben Rohmaterials die Löslichkeit des Ilmenit-Konzentrates beeinflussen. Strukturelle Diskontinuitäten, wie etwa Zwillinge, begünstigen das Auslaugen der Ilmenitkörner. In Abhängigkeit von der Größe und Verteilung des entmischten Hämatits, gibt es eine gute Korrelation zwischen dem Grad der Auflösung von Ilmenit und der Menge an entmischtem Hämatit im Ilmenit. Andererseits sinkt die Löslichkeit von Ilmenit mit Zunahme der Korngröße. Die Gehalte an Spurenelementen, wie etwa Cr und V und ihre Provenienz in den Kristallgittern beeinflussen normalerweise die Qualität des Pigments. Im Tellnes Ilmenit sind sie allerdings an den entmischten Hämatit gebunden, der nicht in Lösung geht. Magnesium beeinträchtigt den Ausfällungsvorgang. Der MgO-Gehalt des Konzentrats ist 4% und ist überwiegend an das Ilmenitgitter geknüpft. Im Gegensatz dazu steigt, infolge der Akkumulation der unlöslichen Mg-führenden Silikate, der MgO-Gehalt auf 10% in den nicht reagierenden Festphasen au.

     

Ilmenite as a recorder of kimberlite history from mantle to surface: examples from Indian kimberlites

Five compositional-textural types of ilmenite can be distinguished in nine kimberlites from the Eastern Dharwar craton of southern India. These ilmenite generations record different processes in kimberlite history, from mantle to surface. A first generation of Mg-rich ilmenite (type 1) was produced by metasomatic processes in the mantle before the emplacement of the kimberlite. It is found as xenolithic polycrystalline ilmenite aggregates as well as megacrysts and macrocrysts. All of these ilmenite forms may disaggregate within the kimberlite. Due to the interaction with low-viscosity kimberlitic magma replacement of pre-existing type 1 ilmenite by a succeeding generation of geikielite (type 2) along grain boundaries and cracks occurs. Another generation of Mg-rich ilmenite maybe produced by exsolution processes (type 3 ilmenite). Although the identity of the host mineral is unclear due to extensive alteration and possibility includes enstatite. Type 4 Mn-rich ilmenite is produced before the crystallization of groundmass perovskite and ulvöspinel. It usually mantles ilmenite and other Ti-rich minerals. Type 5 Mn-rich ilmenite is produced after the crystallization of the groundmass minerals and replaces them. The contents of Cr and Nb in type 2, 4 and 5 ilmenites are highly dependent on the composition of the replaced minerals, they may not be a good argument in exploration. The highest Mg contents are recorded in metasomatic ilmenite that is produced during kimberlite emplacement, and cannot be associated with diamond formation. The higher Mn contents are linked to magmatic processes and also late processes clearly produced after the crystallization of the kimberlite groundmass, and therefore ilmenite with high Mn contents cannot be considered as a reliable diamond indicator mineral (DIM) and kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM).

     

The behavior of heavy minerals in lithostream

This study is concerned with the eolian deposits on the Baikal shore. It has been established that (1) the eolian sands are distinctly divided into two sequences: Khuzhir (Late Pleistocene) and Peschanka (Holocene); (2) the ilmenite enrichment of the sands is due to the removal of sand grains (containing mainly light minerals) by strong winds up the shore, first, from a dewatered beach zone, and then, from zones of psammitic-material transition. This leads to the concentration of ilmenite and other heavy minerals, first, within the beach zone, and then, within the zones of prevailing eolian-sand transition. The accumulation-transition zones are most enriched in heavy minerals, including ilmenite; (3) the ilmenite content in the study Ti-ore placer deposit shows a high correlation (R = 0.89) with the total content of heavy minerals.     

沉积型钛铁矿品位计算方法

沉积型钛铁矿品位计算中时常出现简化计算公式,忽视钛铁矿中TiO2实际含量和钛物相分布中钛铁矿占比等因素,导致钛铁矿品位计算数据偏差,影响钛铁矿储量计算和项目经济测算。为了减少钛铁矿品位计算的错误,本文以莫桑比克和马拉维钛铁矿项目勘查资料数据为基础,论述钛铁矿物中TiO2实测含量及钛物相分析中钛铁矿占比的意义,正确运用钛铁矿品位计算公式,使沉积型钛铁矿品位计算更接近实际,为提升钛铁矿砂矿资源储量和项目经济性测算的准确性提供重要支撑。     

沉积型钛铁矿品位计算方法

沉积型钛铁矿品位计算中时常出现简化计算公式,忽视钛铁矿中TiO2实际含量和钛物相分布中钛铁矿占比等因素,导致钛铁矿品位计算数据偏差,影响钛铁矿储量计算和项目经济测算。为了减少钛铁矿品位计算的错误,本文以莫桑比克和马拉维钛铁矿项目勘查资料数据为基础,论述钛铁矿物中TiO2实测含量及钛物相分析中钛铁矿占比的意义,正确运用钛铁矿品位计算公式,使沉积型钛铁矿品位计算更接近实际,为提升钛铁矿砂矿资源储量和项目经济性测算的准确性提供重要支撑。     

Infrared studies of the adsorption of oleate species on calcium fluoride

In the study, by infrared spectroscopy, of the nature of the adsorbed species when fluorite or precipitated calcium fluoride are treated with aqueous sodium oleate or oleic acid, a certain amount of confusion has arisen about whether the spectra of the surface products represent sodium oleate, calcium oleate, oleic acid or various combinations of the three. The investigation described in this paper was aimed at resolving the discrepancies, and showed that the spectrum of the adsorbed species had peaks at 1613 and 1562 cm^?1. It is suggested that the former corresponds to a surface chemisorbed calcium oleate and the latter to both surface calcium oleate and physically adsorbed sodium oleate.     

热处理天然金红石的微结构研究

利用粉晶X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电镜(TEM)等分析手段对在氩气气氛中加热、退火的天然金红石样品的微结构进行了研究.研究表明样品在热处理后,晶格发生膨胀,并且在900 ℃和1000 ℃的样品中出现了钛铁矿物相.钛铁矿也是一种天然半导体矿物,沿与金红石(010)面网成大约31°夹角的方向生长,与金红石形成了二元复合半导体.紫外漫反射实验结果表明热处理后,金红石中出现的钛铁矿相有效地促进了光催化效果.     

Ilmenite composition in the Tellnes Fe–Ti deposit,SW Norway: fractional crystallization,postcumulus evolution and ilmenite–zircon relation

Major and trace element XRF and in situ LA-ICP-MS analyses of ilmenite in the Tellnes ilmenite deposit, Rogaland Anorthosite Province, SW Norway, constrains a two stage fractional crystallization model of a ferrodioritic Fe-Ti-P rich melt. Stage 1 is characterized by ilmenite-plagioclase cumulates, partly stored in the lower part of the ore body (Lower Central Zone, LCZ), and stage 2 by ilmenite-plagioclase-orthopyroxene-olivine cumulates (Upper Central Zone, UCZ). The concentration of V and Cr in ilmenite, corrected for the trapped liquid effect, (1) defines the cotectic proportion of ilmenite to be 17.5 wt% during stage 1, and (2) implies an increase of D _V^Ilm during stage 2, most likely related to a shift in fO₂. The proportion of 17.5 wt% is lower than the modal proportion of ilmenite (ca. 50 wt%) in the ore body, implying accumulation of ilmenite and flotation of plagioclase. The fraction of residual liquid left after crystallization of Tellnes cumulates is estimated at 0.6 and the flotation of plagioclase at 26 wt% of the initial melt mass. The increasing content of intercumulus magnetite with stratigraphic height, from 0 to ca. 3 wt%, results from differentiation of the trapped liquid towards magnetite saturation. The MgO content of ilmenite (1.4–4.4 wt%) is much lower than the expected cumulus composition. It shows extensive postcumulus re-equilibration with trapped liquid and ferromagnesian silicates, correlated with distance to the host anorthosite. The Zr content of ilmenite, provided by in situ analyses, is low (<114 ppm) and uncorrelated with stratigraphy or Cr content. The data demonstrate that zircon coronas observed around ilmenite formed by subsolidus exsolution of ZrO₂ from ilmenite. The U-Pb zircon age of 920 ± 3 Ma probably records this exsolution process. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

The action of neutral oleic acid in the flotation of hematite

Acidification of solutions of oleate salts forms emulsions of oleic acid. It was found that these emulsions produce a different adsorption behaviour on different size fractions of the same mineral. At low oleate concentrations, for the finer fractions, adsorption at acid pH was higher than chemisorption at pH = 7.5; adsorption was lower for the coarser, flotation-size fractions. Therefore, the conclusions obtained in acid solutions for the adsorption of oleate on fine minerals cannot be applied to flotation-size minerals.At low oleate concentrations there is a good correlation between oleate adsorption and hematite flotation. This does not hold for oleate concentrations > 5· 10^?5M, where there is poor flotability in the acid region, although the adsorption of oleic acid is very high. This is attributed to the disordered character of the layer of cooperatively adsorbed oleic acid.     

Flotation study on high-hercynite ilmenite ores

Ilmenite from Polish magnetite-ilmenite ores has been floated with tall oil. Chemical and mineralogical analysis of the flotation products established that the ores containing hercynite are difficult to upgrade. For ore A (18.7% hercynite and 32.8% ilmenite) and ore B (9% hercynite and 41.3% ilmenite) poor concentrates containing much less than the required 45% TiO₂ have been obtained. It has been found that the higher concentration of hercynite in the feed, the lower the grade of concentrates in respect to TiO₂ is obtained. Ilmenite ore containing a minor amount of hercynite (ore C, 0.15% hercynite and 12.3 ilmenite) gives a good concentrate. By means of microscopic observation it was established that hercynite floats together with ilmenite in the rougher flotation but is partially depressed in the cleaning and scavenging flotation.     

Oxide and sulphide isograds along a Late Archean, deep-crustal profile in Tamil Nadu, south India

Oxide–sulphide–Fe–Mg–silicate and titanite–ilmenite textures as well as their mineral compositions have been studied in felsic and intermediate orthogneisses across an amphibolite (north) to granulite facies (south) traverse of lower Archean crust, Tamil Nadu, south India. Titanite is limited to the amphibolite facies terrane where it rims ilmenite or occurs as independent grains. Pyrite is widespread throughout the traverse increasing in abundance with increasing metamorphic grade. Pyrrhotite is confined to the high‐grade granulites. Ilmenite is widespread throughout the traverse increasing in abundance with increasing metamorphic grade and occurring primarily as hemo‐ilmenite in the high‐grade granulite facies rocks. Magnetite is widespread throughout the traverse and is commonly associated with ilmenite. It decreases in abundance with increasing metamorphic grade. In the granulite facies zone, reaction rims of magnetite + quartz occur along Fe–Mg silicate grain boundaries. Magnetite also commonly rims or is associated with pyrite. Both types of reaction rims represent an oxidation effect resulting from the partial subsolidus reduction of the hematite component in ilmenite to magnetite. This is confirmed by the presence of composite three oxide grains consisting of hematite, magnetite and ilmenite. Magnetite and magnetite–pyrite micro‐veins along silicate grain boundaries formed over a wide range of post‐peak metamorphic temperatures and pressures ranging from high‐grade SO₂ to low‐grade H₂S‐dominated conditions. Oxygen fugacities estimated from the orthopyroxene–magnetite–quartz, orthopyroxene–hematite–quartz, and magnetite–hematite buffers average 2.5 log units above QFM. It is proposed that the trends in mineral assemblages, textures and composition are the result of an external, infiltrating concentrated brine containing an oxidizing component such as CaSO₄ during high‐grade metamorphism later acted upon by prograde and retrograde mineral reactions that do not involve an externally derived fluid phase.     

Recent developments in processing ilmenite for titanium

This review examines the literature on the processing of ilmenite during the last fifty years. It is aimed at giving a simplified outline of the major processes currently used for beneficiation and recovery of titanium dioxide and titanium metal from ilmenite ores. Attention has been drawn to the main parameters affecting the recovery of titanium dioxide. All methods developed to date are of the batch type and on a laboratory scale and require further evaluation on a larger scale if ilmenite is to be a major source of metal titanium.A brief discussion on the extraction of titanium metal from rutile has been given.     

Major and trace element variation in ilmenite in the Skaergaard Intrusion: petrologic implications

Ilmenite separates from the floor (LS), roof (UBS), and wall (MBS) sequences of the Skaergaard Intrusion were analyzed for major and trace elements using DCP-AES and ICP-MS techniques. In all three sequences, FeO progressively increases, and MgO and Al₂O₃ progressively decrease with differentiation. Although trace element abundances are, in general, higher in UBS ilmenite than in MBS and LS ilmenite, all three sequences have similar trends for trace element abundance vs. crystallization. Ba, Cs, Rb, Sr, Th, U, Y, and the REEs are excluded elements in ilmenite, and remained at low abundances during differentiation. Cr, Ni, Sc, and V are included elements in ilmenite and other mafic phases, and decreased during differentiation. V contents in ilmenite, however, do not decrease significantly until the upper part of the middle zone, suggesting that magnetite did not begin to affect the magma differentiation trend until much later than when it first appears in the intrusion. Hf, Nb, Ta, and Zr, which are strongly excluded elements in silicates, are included elements in ilmenite. The element ratios Zr/Hf, Y/Ho, Nb/Ta, and U/Th are relatively constant in Skaergaard ilmenite from different parts of the intrusion, suggesting that fluid transport did not significantly effect these elements during differentiation or post-solidification cooling. Calculated partition coefficients for ilmenite in the Skaergaard Intrusion are similar to those reported from previous studies of lunar and terrestrial basalts and kimberlites, and for most elements are significantly lower than those reported for ilmenite in rhyolitic magma. Similar D_i's for Zr, Hf, Nb, and Ta suggest that ilmenite crystallization did not significantly affect Zr/Nb or Hf/Ta in the Skaergaard magma, but the ratios of Zr, Hf, Nb, or Ta to other high field strength elements, such as Th, U, Y, or the REEs, may have been altered by ilmenite fractionation.     

Tabular formations in titanomagnetite

A visually homogeneous intrusive titanium magnetite is shown microscopically to consist of two phases: a) solid solution of magnetite in ulvospinel and b) solid solution of ulvospinel in magnetite; the phase ratio is about 1 : 2. On heating in air two new phases are produced in titanium magnetite, as oriented plates forming the mineral's characteristic reticulate microstructure: ilmenite and hematite. Ilmenite disappears on further heating and the end-phase becomes a solid solution of ilmenite in hematite. It is believed that natural oxidation in depths also yields to ilmenite plates in titanium magnetite, if ulvospinel is present. Oriented platelets of hematite may be similarly produced in TiO₂ -free magnetite and in magnesium ferrite, although MgO retards their development in the latter. -- V. P. Sokoloff.     

Opaque Minerals in LL3.0-6 Chondrites I: Mineralogy of Ti-oxides and ~(53)Mn-~(53)Cr Systematics of Ilmenite

We conducted a systematic study of oxide minerals in LL3.0-6 chondrites, and found ilmenite, rutile, perovskite and an unknown Al-Ti-Zr-oxide. Ilmenite is low in abundance, but is present in the chondrules and matrix of all the samples that we studied. The MnO content of ilmenite in LL3.0-3.3 is lower than that in LL3.5-6. The low concentration of MnO in the former is due to crystallization from chondrules melts at high temperatures. On the other hand, ilmenite composition in LL3.5-6 reflects thermal metamorphism. Therefore, ilmenite is indicative of petrologic type. We also made the first measurements of the 53Mn-53Cr systematics of ilmenite in ordinary chondrites. The age for ilmenite in Y790256 (LL6) is determined to be about 2 Ma older than angrites. This may represent the metamorphic age of the LL chondrites.     

The significance of groundmass ilmenite and megacryst ilmenite in kimberlites

Criteria are suggested for distinguishing xenocrystic ilmenites from those indigenous to the host kimberlite. For instance, in contrast to groundmass grains, ilmenite xenocrysts usually are larger, have reaction rims of leucoxene and perovskite, exhibit strong magnesium enrichment outward, and sometimes have exsolution lamellae and deformation features. Most of the abundant ilmenite macrocrysts found in kimberlite appear to have been phenocrysts in a crystal mush unrelated to kimberlite. On the other hand, kimberlitic groundmass ilmenite is rare, but consistently more magnesian than the cores of macrocrysts. Strong Mg-enrichment patterns evident in the ilmenite macrocrysts probably developed during their attempt to equilibrate with the more magnesian, fractionating kimberlitic liquid. The hypothesis of extensive reaction of ilmenite with kimberlite melt/ fluid has implications with regard to the following: (1) the degree of differentiation of kimberlite melts; (2) the genesis of mantle megacrysts; (3) the reactivity of kimberlite; and (4) the usefulness of groundmass ilmenite as a petrogenetic indicator.     

Influence of Fe ions of ilmenite on its flotability

The influence of the Fe and Ti species of ilmenite on its response to flotation is studied.Because the Fe²⁺ ions on the surface of ilmenite can be dissolved and oxidized in solution, they are the active factor. When using SPA as the collector, the dissolution of Fe²⁺ ions makes the unsaturated strength of the electro-static valence of Ti species greater. As a result, the flotability of ilmenite also increases greatly.The electro-chemical oxidation of Fe²⁺ into Fe³⁺ ions also increases its flotability to a certain extent, but this is not decisive.A method is described for determining by Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) the interaction of collector with various species on the mineral's surface. It is shown by this means, that ions of SPA act mainly on Ti species on the surface of ilmenite.