Hydrochloric acid leaching behaviour of mechanically activated Panxi ilmenite (FeTiO3)

The effects of mechanical activation on the hydrochloric acid leaching performance of Panxi ilmenite from Sichuan province of China were investigated. The unactivated and mechanically activated ilmenites were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), particle size analysis, and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) techniques to determine the structural changes of Panxi ilmenite during the mechanical activation process. The results show that mechanical activation elevated the calcium, magnesium and iron extraction of Panxi ilmenite irreversibly which mostly attributes to the lattice disorder of Panxi ilmenite. All the results show that a great amount of magnesium in Panxi ilmenite uniformly substitutes for iron in the structure of ilmenite, while a minority magnesium exists in gangue minerals, and calcium more likely exists in gangue minerals. The sites of magnesium, calcium and iron in ilmenite would not be redistributed during the treatment of mechanical activation. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.