Opportunities of pyrometallurgical enrichment of ilmenite concentrate

The paper estimates opportunities of pyrometallurgical enrichment of ilmenite concentrates with the aim of obtaining high-titanium slags. Laboratory experiments were carried out in different technological variants. They confirmed the possibility of effective pyrometallurgical enrichment of the ilmenite concentrate at melt temperatures of 1600...1650 °C. One- and two-stage schemes of enrichment can be used. One-stage scheme requires less capital investment. When the concentrate is poor (TiO2 ≤ 46 %), it is preferable not to use flux additives and to retain 12...15 % of iron oxides in the slag. For rich concentrates (TiO2 ≥ 55 %) lime and soda ash may be added to the charge to achieve a higher degree of iron reduction (3...4 % FeO in the slag). The advantages of the two-stage process, on the other hand, consist in simplicity of melting control and regulation, as well as in the possibility of using less qualified personnel. Technological schemes for pyrometallurgical enrichment of pyrometallurgical concentrates are finally proposed and the possibility of the production of high-titanium slags using the MAGMA-3 aggregate is estimated.