Thermodynamics of leaching of leukoxenized ilmenite

Abstract

The thermodynamics of the alkaline leaching of ilmenite was investigated in this work. Thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy, entropy, Gibbs energy, etc.) are important and necessary for understanding both the course of the chemical reaction as a whole and the possibility of its implementation in the production process. The change in Gibbs energies at different temperatures during the chemical reaction of ilmenite leaching was calculated by the Temkin-Schwartzman method. The calculated values of the Gibbs energies of the reactions for the production of sodium and potassium titanates allowed us to state that the interaction of ilmenite with potassium hydroxide is energetically more advantageous. With the help of X-ray diffraction studies, it was established that ilmenite from the Irshansky deposit is leukoxenized. The identification of the main reflexes of the diffraction patterns confirmed that the interaction of potassium hydroxide and ilmenite yields potassium titanate.