Fundamental problems and prospects for the use of titanium raw materials in Russia

Abstract

The article provides a detailed analysis of research results on the use of various types of titanium raw materials from Russian deposits: primary (titanomagnetite, ilmenite-titanomagnetite), metamorphosed (buried leucoxene and ilmenite-leucoxene sandstones) and complex zircon-rutile-ilmenite placers. All titanium deposits in Russia are characterized by low ore quality, which does not meet technological requirements for the production of pigment TiO 2 and metallic titanium. Main deposits are based on titanomagnetites containing from 3 to 17 % of TiO 2 . Ilmenite is in a subordinate position. Leucoxene sandstones of the Yarega deposit have high titanium content (about 10 %o TiO 2 ). But when they are dressed by known methods, low-quality high-silicon leucoxene concentrates are obtained containing 40 - 50 %o TiO 2 with significant titanium losses. Ilmenite-leucoxene sandstones of the Pizhemskoe deposit contain 3 - 10 %o of TiO 2 . The main titanium-containing phases are pseudorutyl Fe 2 O 3 3TiO 2 and leucoxene. The cementing binder of grains in sandstones is siderite with magnetic properties, which greatly reduces the degree of minerals disclosure during crushing and worsens the conditions for ore dressing in general. Ilmenite-bearing placers consist of fine-grained disseminated ilmenite and are difficult to concentrate. Complex zircon-rutil-ilmenite placers are infected with chromium and other undesirable impurities, which do not allow existing dressing methods to obtain a conditioned ilmenite concentrate. The main problems of using hard-to-concentrate titanium ores of all the above types of deposits and scientifically based ways to solve them are discussed. It is aimed at obtaining high-quality raw materials for the production of titanium metal and pigment TiO 2 with the simultaneous extraction of other valuable components. Particular attention is devoted to studies on the use of mass complex raw materials - titanomagne-tites, which are allocated in three phased directions, lasting for about 200 years - from the beginning of the XIX century to the present.