Reduction of Ilmenite in the Presence of Sulfur

Abstract

Synthetic rutile has been produced from a Western Australian ilmenite by reducing it under controlled oxygen and sulfur fugacities , then leaching out the resulting metallic and sulfide phases with a bromine-in-methanol solution. The grade of the synthetic rutile has been determined as a function of reduction temperature, reduction time and oxygen fugacity. Experimental limitations precluded investigation of different sulfur fugacities.

Reductions performed at 1301, 1348 and 1423 K have shown that synthetic rutile produced at 1301and 1348 K has a higher grade than that produced at 1423 K. In addition, the reduction time required to achieve a high-grade product at 1301 and 1348 K has been found to be less than that required at 1423 K.

Included in the paper are an indication of how phase equilibria for the Fe- Mn -Ti-O-S system can be used to predict the grades of synthetic rutile produced at other temperatures or sulfur fugacities, and a discussion of how the reported results can be applied to ilmenite reduction in coal-fired kilns.