Influence of Ascorbate and Oxalic Acid for the Removal of Iron and Alkali from Alkali Roasted Ilmenite to Produce Synthetic Rutile

Leaching of the alkali roasted product was undertaken for the removal of iron and alkali to produce synthetic rutile. The process was carried out in presence of oxalic and ascorbic acids. It was observed that in presence of ascorbic acid the dissolution of iron oxide increased as Fe2+ ions were generated rapidly which then formed ferrous oxalate. Alkali ions were also removed in the process as the pH of the leaching medium was maintained below 4. The production of Fe2+ ions started as early as 30 min whereas the formation of iron oxalate started after 2 hours into the leaching process. In this paper we describe the reaction chemistry in the leaching process by characterizing the samples using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray techniques. After the leaching process, greater than 95% pure synthetic rutile was achieved.