Dissolution Kinetics of Ilmenite Ore in A Binary Solution

Leaching of iron from ilmenite ore using a binary solution (HCl-NaNO3) was investigated. The raw ilmenite ore sample was characterized using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and X-ray Flourescence (XRF) techniques. The influence of acid concentration, oxidant concentration, particle size, solution temperature, stirring speed and liquid-to-solid ratios on the extent of dissolution was examined. The experimental data obtained at various process parameter conditions were tested in six kinetics models: shrinking core model’s diffusion through liquid film model(DTLF), diffusion through product layer model (DTPL), surface chemical reaction model (SCR)); mixed kinetics model (MKM), Jander (three dimensional) model and Kröger and Ziegler model. The crystalline morphology of the sample was displayed by the SEM micrograph. XRF result revealed the dominance of titanium and iron in ilmenite while XRD confirmed that ilmenite exist mainly as FeTiO2. The results of the leaching studies showed that ilmenite dissolution in the binary solution increases with increasing acid concentration, oxidant concentration, reaction temperature, stirring speed and liquid-to-solid ratio; while it decreases with particle size. The study showed that 94.77% iron was dissolved by 1MHCl-0.6M NaNO3 at 75?m particle size, 75?C reaction temperature, 300rpm stirring speed and 30L/g liquid-to-solid ratio. The kinetics of the leaching process was best described by Kröger and Ziegler model with diffusion through the product layer as rate controlling step. The activation energy, Ea, was calculated to be 6.42kJ/mol. The results indicate that HCl-NaNO3 binary solution can be used as an effective lixiviant for extracting iron from ilmenite ores.