Study on the Mineral Characteristics and Upgrading of Titanium Iron Ore Concentrate in the Panxi Region of China

Panzhihua University, Panzhihua 617000, Sichuan, China

^* Corresponding author: a1252638725@qq.com; b240037447@qq.com

Abstract

By conducting sieve analysis and MLA process mineralogy automated analysis system research on a titanium iron ore concentrate sample from the Panxi region, this study found that the main metallic mineral in the Anning titanium concentrate is ilmenite, which is the primary target mineral for recovery in this study. In addition, there are minor metallic minerals such as titanomagnetite and hematite, as well as gangue minerals including chlorite, hornblende, sphene, and diopside. Ilmenite accounts for 89.42% of the total mineral mass, and its liberation degree has reached 95.26%, indicating that ilmenite has essentially achieved liberation. The sample contains 47.61% TiO₂, 2.63% SiO₂, 1.05% CaO, and 2.84% MgO. The particle size of the sample is mainly below -200 mesh, accounting for 73.75%, while the fine particle grade with a higher grade is -325 mesh, accounting for 28.95%. SiO₂ and TiO₂ are mainly concentrated in the -200 mesh particle size grade, while gangue minerals rich in Ca, Si, and Mg are mainly chlorite, titanite, sphene, and other silicate minerals. Gangue minerals associated with ilmenite include chlorite, sphene, and titanite, while those enclosed by ilmenite are mainly composed of chlorite, hornblende, sphene, and titanite. These gangue minerals, due to their low intergrowth particle size, are difficult to remove by mineral processing methods. Gangue minerals containing Ca, Mg, and Si have low intergrowth particle sizes and complex associations with ilmenite, making them difficult to completely remove.In the flotation tests, this study employed an open circuit flotation test process of “one roughing, two scavenging, and middling separate treatment”. In the roughing stage, the dosage of sulfuric acid was 3000g/t, and the dosage of FS+CS was 1500+1500g/t, while the collector YS was used at 500g/t. Through this process, the study obtained two types of titanium concentrates: one with a yield of 36.72%, TiO₂ content of 49.62%, SiO₂ content of 0.95%, and TiO₂ recovery rate of 38.24%, which is a low- silica titanium concentrate; the other with a yield of 63.28%, TiO₂ content of 46.51%, SiO₂ content of 3.52%, and TiO₂ recovery rate of 61.76%, which is a regular titanium concentrate. The high-quality titanium concentrate obtained meets the requirements for silicon, calcium, and magnesium in the chlorinated titanium dioxide process, while the flotation tailings can be used as regular titanium concentrate.