What are the beneficiation methods for ilmenite?

1. Gravity Separation of Ilmenite
   Gravity separation involves discarding gangue minerals from crushed ilmenite ore using equipment such as jigs, spiral chutes, and shaking tables. It is primarily suitable for coarse-grained disseminated ilmenite.

1. Magnetic Separation of Ilmenite
   Since ilmenite is weakly magnetic, magnetic separation can be used to separate it from non-magnetic minerals. If the magnetic field intensity during separation is insufficient, some ilmenite may be discarded, leading to reduced resource utilization efficiency. Therefore, magnetic field intensity is a critical factor in the magnetic separation of ilmenite. Ilmenite often exists in deposits as complex solid solutions, which can easily form ilmenite lamellae with higher magnetic susceptibility coefficients. This increases the magnetic difference between ilmenite and gangue, facilitating magnetic separation. Some ilmenite placer deposits contain significant amounts of impurities and sludge. For such ores, weak magnetic separation can first be used after primary grinding to recover iron minerals, followed by strong magnetic separation to recover titanium minerals, thereby improving the ore's recovery rate.

   

2. Flotation of Ilmenite
   Flotation is a commonly used method for ilmenite beneficiation and can be divided into conventional flotation, flocculation flotation, agglomeration flotation, and carrier flotation.

   

3. Combined Beneficiation Methods for Ilmenite
   These include Magnetic Separation + Flotation, Gravity Separation + Flotation, Magnetic Separation + Gravity Separation, and Gravity-Magnetic-Flotation-Electrostatic Separation.

II. What flotation methods are used for ilmenite?

1. Conventional Flotation
   Conventional flotation of ilmenite typically uses collectors such as oleic acid, oxidized paraffin soap, and tall oil. The combination and ratio of collectors can be adjusted based on the mineral composition. For instance, if an ore contains both ilmenite and titanaugite, which have similar floatability, new types of collectors can be used to separate them and improve the ore grade.

2. Flocculation Flotation
   Flocculation flotation for ilmenite can be further divided into selective flocculation flotation and hydrophobic flocculation flotation, mainly targeting fine-grained ilmenite. Selective flocculation flotation involves aggregating one mineral in a pulp containing two or more minerals before step-by-step separation. Hydrophobic flocculation flotation utilizes the mutual hydrophobic interaction between hydrophobic mineral particles to cause them to aggregate into clusters for separation.

3. Agglomeration Flotation
   Agglomeration flotation for ilmenite utilizes collectors adsorbed on the ilmenite surface to render the particles hydrophobic. Capillary attraction from the bridging liquid then causes the particles to form agglomerates, enabling ilmenite flotation. This method is suitable for fine-grained ilmenite. When using this method, attention must be paid to the dosage of collectors and the agitation intensity, as these factors directly impact ilmenite recovery.

III. What are the combined beneficiation methods for ilmenite?

1. Combined Beneficiation Methods for Ilmenite
   Ilmenite often contains various minerals and impurities, such as rutile and zircon. To improve concentrate grade and recovery rate, and achieve comprehensive utilization of minerals, combined beneficiation methods generally yield better results than single methods. Currently, common combined methods for ilmenite include Magnetic Separation + Flotation, Gravity Separation + Flotation, Magnetic Separation + Gravity Separation, and Gravity-Magnetic-Flotation-Electrostatic Separation.

2. Magnetic Separation + Flotation
   This method involves first subjecting the ilmenite to magnetic separation to discard some useless gangue minerals, followed by flotation of the magnetic concentrate to improve the grade and recovery rate of the ilmenite concentrate.

3. Gravity Separation + Flotation
   The Gravity Separation + Flotation method is effective for beneficiating ilmenite with a raw ore grade below 6%. It can also separate sulfur from the ilmenite, improving the utilization rate of ilmenite resources.

4. Magnetic Separation + Gravity Separation
   The combination of magnetic and gravity separation methods can reduce production costs for ilmenite beneficiation, improve the concentrate grade and recovery rate, and effectively enhance production efficiency.

5. Gravity-Magnetic-Flotation-Electrostatic Separation
   If the gangue minerals in ilmenite contain titanaugite, plagioclase, sulfide minerals, etc., plagioclase can first be removed by gravity separation. Flotation can then be used for desulfurization, and electrostatic separation can remove titanaugite. This improves the grade and utilization rate of ilmenite and is a favorable solution for low-grade ilmenite ores.

The above are the beneficiation methods for ilmenite. In actual production, due to the complex composition of ilmenite ores, the process flow cannot be determined solely based on experience. It is recommended to analyze the ore's mineral composition and properties through beneficiation tests and formulate a scientific and rational beneficiation scheme based on the test results.