General review of titanium ores in exploitation: present status and forecast

• Autor(a) principal: Subasinghe, Hevapathiranage Chandima Sudantha
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Ratnayake, Amila Sandaruwan
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10400.9/3878
• topic: Titanium ores; Ilmenite; Rutile; Titanium dioxide; Titanium metal; Minérios de titânio; Rútilo; Dióxido de titânio; Metal de titânio

ABSTRACT: Titanium ore minerals have a unique spectrum of properties useful for modern-day industrial applications. This study focuses on the global distribution, genesis, processing, and economics of titanium ore minerals. Titanium ore deposits are distributed in 20 countries. Ilmenite (FeOTiO2), leucoxene (Fe2O3.nTiO2), and rutile (TiO2) are the major Ti ores. Titanium ore minerals in rocks (i.e., primary deposits) are products of magmatic, hydrothermal, metasomatic, and metamorphic processes. Titanium ore minerals are also concentrated as unconsolidated/placer deposits (i.e., secondary deposits) due to weathering (chemical, physical and biological), erosion, and transportation of sediments. About 60% of global Ti ore production comes from unconsolidated mineral sand deposits. China is the leading producer of ilmenite accounting for 31% of global production, primarily from hard-rock deposits. Australia and South Africa are also leading producers of ilmenite. In addition, Australia leads rutile production with a global share of 52%. Titanium ore minerals are used to extract TiO2 and Ti metal, using three major processes pyrometallurgy, hydrometallurgy, and electrometallurgy. Therefore, processed TiO2 and Ti metal are used in advanced applications such as the production of paints, aircraft, photovoltaic cells, medicines, and biomedical engineering. Substitutions are virtually impossible in most applications of TiO2 due to its unique physical and chemical properties. Time series analysis and forecast (using the R studio software) of global production and price variations of ilmenite and rutile indicate satisfactory growth rates, based on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) database and mineral yearbooks over 65 years from 1950 to 2015.