Preparation of synthetic rutile from high titanium slag using microwave heating

ABSTRACTIn this work, we demonstrate a novel synthesis of synthetic rutile from high titanium slag. This rutile TiO2 was obtained by a simple one-step microwave roasting route. The influence of microwave roasting temperature and duration on the phase transformation of high titanium slag has been assessed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the intensity of anosovite (Fe3Ti3O10) phase, which were the major phase of high titanium slag of carbon thermal reduction of ilmenite ores, decreased rapidly while the peaks for rutile TiO2 phase increased with increase in the microwave roasting temperature. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed formation and the particle-size distribution of rutile TiO2 phase. Based on XRD and SEM analysis, confirmed the dependence of phase structure, composition and crystallite size on the process conditions of microwave roasting.