The production of vanadium and steel from titanomagnetites

Abstract Titanomagnetites represent a valuable raw material for the production of steel, vanadium and titanium. In several countries they are already processed whereby the treatment is adjusted to the content of the components to be recovered. In case of beach sands mining can be effected very easily. Upgrading is also rather simple for all types of titanomagnetites and can mainly be achieved by low-density magnetic separation after suitable grinding. The recovery of iron and vanadium is done by Highveld Steel and Vanadium Corp. in South Africa. Steel and vanadium-containing slag are produced, the latter to be processed by roasting and leaching to achieve V 2 O 5 -flakes as marketable product. The overall V-recovery is reparted to be in the magnitude of 60–75%. According to the Otanmaki Process the titanomagnetite concentrate is pelletized with sodium carbonate and the pellets indurated according to a certain pattern in a shaft furnace. Afterwards, the pellets are subjected to leaching and the formed water-soluble Na-vanadates are recovered in a solution, from which the vanadium is precipitated as V 2 O 5 . Two plants according to this process are operated in Finland by Messrs. Rautaruukki Oy. In New Zealand beach sands are mined, upgraded and further processed by direct reduction and steel smelting. Together with local, not cokable coal the beach sand represents the basis for the main steel production in this country. The plant is being largely extended and by process modification also a vanadium slag will be produced. Out of ilmenites high-grade TiO 2 -products can be produced. This is possible by direct reduction and subsequent leaching to separate the iron. The resulting product is an artificial rutile. This process is realized in Australia. Another possibility is to smelt the ilmenite in electrical furnace to produce cast iron of special quality and TiO 2 -slag. This treatment is well known as Sorel Process. One plant in Canada and another in South Africa use this process successfully. A plant of similar process is under construction in Norway. Advanced processes are under development aiming in recovery of all valuable components of the titanomagnetites.