EFFECT OF MECHANICAL ACTIVATION AND IRON POWDER ADDITION ON AClDI C LEAC8ING OF PSEUDORUTILE

Abstract

This study presents the effect of mechanical activation on iron removal from pseudorutile to obtain synthetic rutile by hydrochloric acid leaching with or without iron addition as a reducing agent. Iron and titanium extraction efficiencies in leaching for 3 h without iron addition are 64% and 49%, respectively. After mechanical activation of pseudorutile for 30 min, iron and titanhım extraction efficiencies increased to 82% and 62%, respectively. In case of iron addition to leaching step, mechanical activation has no prominent effect on the iron and titanium extractions. On the contrary, most of iron content in pseudorutile dissolved but titanium oxide remains at the solid part. Effect of iron addition to the leaching step was investigated with x-ray diffraction analysis of solid part.

Keywords

• acidic leaching, mecbanical activation, pseudorutile, rutile