Synthesis of Sorption Materials from Low Grade Titanium Raw Materials

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Mineral Processing

Background:

• Apatite-nepheline ore waste contains valuable titanium resources.
• Efficient extraction of titanium from low-grade ores is challenging.
• Developing effective sorbent materials is crucial for resource recovery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a universal technology for processing low-titanium apatite-nepheline ore waste.
• To synthesize titanium-based sorbent materials with high sorption activity.
• To investigate the conditions influencing sorbent composition, structure, and performance.

Main Methods:

• Two-stage acid leaching (sulfuric or hydrochloric acid) of ore waste.
• Chemical conversion of titanium precursors (titanyl sulfate monohydrate, rutile-silica composition) using phosphoric acid.
• Mechanical activation and varying phosphoric acid concentrations and reaction conditions (atmospheric, autoclave).
• X-ray fluorescence analysis (XFA) for phase composition identification.

Main Results:

• Achieved >30% TiO2 content after initial ore processing.
• Successfully synthesized titanyl sulfate monohydrate and a rutile-silica composition.
• Identified optimal conditions for sorbent synthesis via phosphoric acid treatment.
• Characterized sorbent phases, including α-TiP and αTi(HPO4)2∙H2O within a silica matrix.

Conclusions:

• The proposed technology effectively extracts titanium from apatite-nepheline ore waste.
• Synthesized titanium phosphate sorbents exhibit promising sorption activity.
• Controlled chemical reactions are key to tailoring sorbent properties for titanium recovery.