Processing of Ilmenite Concentrate with High Chromium Content

Abstract

The results of research on the processing of ilmenite concentrate from the Obukhovskoye deposit are presented in this article. As the concentrate has a high chromium content, the study involved converting the iron into metal and the titanium into slag through the addition of soda. Positive results were obtained during the smelting of the ilmenite concentrate, and a one-stage smelting mode was established. This mode involved an increase in the temperature up to 1700 °C, with a heating step of 10 °C/min and using an argon supply. The holding time at this temperature was 30 min, followed by cooling to 700 °C in argon. The optimal parameters for sintering the non-magnetic fraction with soda and leaching the sinter with water and hydrochloric acid solution were also determined.