Recovery of titanium from the leach liquors of titaniferous magnetites by solvent extraction Part 2. Laboratory-scale studies

Results are presented of laboratory-scale experiments designed to evaluate a solvent extraction process for recovering titanium from the liquor produced in the sulphuric acid leach of a titaniferous magnetite. The solvent extraction of titanium was optimized in batch tests using 10 vol.% tri-n-octylphosphine oxide (TOPO) in the aliphatic diluent Kerosol 200 at 25 degrees C. This extractant system could be loaded to a maximum concentration of 1.1 g l(-1) Ti. Up to 3% of the iron and 4% of the vanadium in the leach liquor were co-extracted, loading to 1.2 g l(-1) Fe and 0.3 g l(-1) V, respectively, on the organic phase. The kinetics of extraction were slow, with 15 to 20 min required to achieve equilibrium. The extent of extraction decreased with increasing temperature. Stripping performance improved with decreasing acid concentration of the strip liquor, and was optimised at 10 mass % H2SO4. The kinetics of stripping were also slow, requiring an equilibration time of 15 min. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.