The Characterisation of the Products of Reduction of Chinkombe Ilmenite

The characterisation of iron-containing species in Chinkombe ilmenite and its reduction products was undertaken using Mössbauer Spectroscopic techniques. The ore was reduced by graphite in an inert atmosphere. The effects of such variables as quantity of reductant, temperature and preoxidation were investigated. The ore was completely reduced to alpha-iron and titanium dioxide with 20% carbon for a period of one hour at 1373 K. Chemical mechanisms are proposed for the reduction and oxidation of Chinkombe ilmenite. In the processing of ilmenite to obtain synthetic rutile, the ultimate desire is to separate the Fe phase from the TiO₂. Mössbauer Spectroscopy has unambiguously confirmed the desired transformation of the iron phase according to thermodynamic predictions. The information gained would be used to choose the conditions of the reduction process. The alpha-iron could be separated physically or chemically from the completely reduced product mass to obtain synthetic titanium dioxide suitable for the paint industry.