Leaching behavior of ilmenite with sulfuric acid

A study of the rate of dissolution of ilmenite in sulfuric acid solutions has been carried out. The effects of temperature, particle size, stirring speed, and concentration of sulfuric acid on the rate of dissolution of ilmenite has been investigated. Temperature range studied in this investigation was 88° to 115°C, and the Arrhenius activation energy was found to be 64.4 kJ (15.4 kcal) per mole. The rate of dissolution increased with concentration of sulfuric acid up to about 14 M sulfuric acid and decreased beyond this concentration. The maximum recovery at 14 M H₂SO₄ can be explained partially by the fact that H⁺ ion concentration peaks at about this concentration. Furthermore, reaction products, TiOSO₄ and FeSO₄, cover the surface of ilmenite when high concentrations of sulfuric acid are used, while these products are dissolved in water and removed from the surface when diluted sulfuric acid is involved. Based on the results obtained in this study, it can be concluded that the overall leaching of ilmenite with sulfuric acid at 88° to 115°C is described best by surface chemical reaction limiting with an order of 0.55 with respect to sulfuric acid concentration.