Specialized metallurgical processes – compositions for use therei – Processes – Free metal or alloy reductant contains magnesium
Patent
1994-03-16
1995-05-02
Rosenberg, Peter D.
Specialized metallurgical processes, compositions for use therei
Processes
Free metal or alloy reductant contains magnesium
423 69, 423 81, C22B 314, C22B 3412
Patent
active
054115744
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a process for producing a titanium product from titanium containing materials, including the iron titanate material, ilmenite.
Titanium is a metal widely used for structural applications, particularly in corrosive environments. A principal use in its oxide form is as a paint filler.
Titanium principally occurs in nature as the mineral ilmenite, FeTiO.sub.3, with lesser amounts found as perovskite, CaTiO.sub.3, sphene, CaTiSiO.sub.5, and geikelite, MgTiO.sub.3. Rutile, anatase and brookite, all forms of TiO.sub.2, pseudorutile, leucoxene, pseudobrookite and other iron titanium oxide phases as well as synthetic titanium-containing slags are also important raw materials.
It is well known that there are many iron titanium oxide phases and solid solutions and that these can be produced and interconverted in a very complex and poorly understood series of reactions, which are dependent on the overall elemental composition of the system, the reaction atmosphere, the O.sub.2 fugacity of the system, the temperature, time and the presence of minor components and catalysts (see for example, Lindsley, D. H., in "Oxide Minerals", Reviews in Mineralogy, Vol. 3, Mineral. Soc. Amer., Washington, U.S.A., 1976, ppL-1 to L-84). Thus, it has been found that at elevated temperatures reactions such as the following can occur: (pseudorutile)
Such phases can have variable composition, being able to form solid solutions with a range of iron and other oxides. Many of the iron titanate phases can be poorly crystalline and can have variable amounts of the elements of water contained in their structures.
Industrial processes known in the prior art for the extraction of titanium, as synthetic rutile, for example from ilmenite, include slag is treated with hot sulphuric acid to afford a mixture of FeSO.sub.4 (copperas) and Fe-containing TiO(SO.sub.4).sub.2. Cooling results in crystallisation of the copperas whilst the Fe-containing TiO(SO.sub.4).sub.2 is removed and hydrolysed to afford impure titania (or "synrutile"). Further upgrading is required to produce pigment-grade titania. This prior art process suffers from the problems of requiring large amounts of liquid acid and producing 3-4 tonnes of solid copperas per tonne of titania produced. at high temperatures, to afford volatile TiCl.sub.4 together with some FeCl.sub.3. After purification, the TiCl.sub.4 is oxidised to TiO.sub.2. This process requires the use of both high temperatures and large quantities of highly corrosive and toxic Cl.sub.2 gas. Significant amounts of FeCl.sub.3 waste is also produced in some variants of this process.
Thus, complex and expensive processing plant is required to withstand conditions and the number of necessary steps. Moreover, considerable waste material needs to be disposed of.
Further, it has been known in the prior art that leaching, using compounds in the NH.sub.3 --CO.sub.2 --H.sub.2 O system, can be employed to extract non-ferrous metals from their ores (Hewedi, M. A. and Engle, L. F., Proc. Internat. Symp. on Hydrometallurgy, Chicago, Ill., United States of America, 25/2-1/3/1973, pp 806-858). However, none of the ores treated have been highly or even moderately refractory nor have the elements to which the disclosure relates been difficult to isolate by competing routes. Thus such extractions have been limited to the amine or mixed amine/carbonate complexes of Cu, Ni, Co, Mn, Zn, Ga, In, U and Be.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to overcome, or at least alleviate, one or more of the difficulties or deficiencies related to the prior art.
Accordingly, in a first aspect, there is provided a process for producing a titanium product, which process includes
contacting the titanimum-containing material with the leaching composition to form an aqueous slurry for a time sufficient to form a titanium leach product; and
isolating a leaching solution containing the titanium leach product so formed.
The titanium leach product may take the form of a titanium-containing complex.
The titanium-containin
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Hewedi, M. A. et al., Proc. Internat. Symp. on Hydrometallurgy, Chicago, Ill. A25/2-1/3, 1973 pp. 806-858.
International Search Report, PCT/AU92/00435.
Hoang Manh
Turney Terence W.
Commonwealth Scientific and Ind. Research Org.
Rosenberg Peter D.
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