Optimizing and characterization of titanium dioxide extracted from black sand using response surface methodology...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Mineral Processing

Background:

• Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is a vital industrial material with diverse applications.
• Efficient recovery methods are crucial for utilizing TiO2 from raw materials.
• Egyptian black sand is a potential source of TiO2, but requires effective extraction.

Purpose of the Study:

• To optimize the recovery of high-purity TiO2 from ilmenite in Egyptian black sand.
• To apply Response Surface Methodology (RSM) for process optimization.
• To develop a simple method for iron separation during TiO2 recovery.

Main Methods:

• Characterization of ilmenite sand using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD).
• Optimization of TiO2 leaching using RSM, studying temperature, sulfuric acid concentration, and time.
• Separation of iron using EDTA complexation and hydrolysis, followed by calcination to produce anatase TiO2.

Main Results:

• RSM identified optimal conditions: 120°C, 4.2 h, and 12 M sulfuric acid for maximum TiO2 conversion (84%).
• A reduced cubic model with R²=0.973 accurately predicted the conversion.
• The final product achieved 96.4% TiO2 purity with anatase phase, uniform spherical morphology, and an average particle size of 78.82 nm.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully optimized TiO2 recovery from local ilmenite sand.
• The developed method provides high-purity TiO2 suitable for industrial applications.
• RSM is an effective tool for optimizing complex chemical processes.