The impact of exsolution textures in Fe–Ti oxide minerals on crushing strategies and vanadium and titanium pre-concentration

Vanadiferous titanomagnetite (VTM) ores in mafic layered intrusions host the world's largest vanadium resources, with the Bushveld Complex representing the principal global deposit. This study examines the mineral textures and element redistributions in magnetite–ilmenite assemblages from Bushveld Upper Zone magnetites. Two main magnetite exsolution microstructures are identified: cloth textures dominated by ulvöspinel lamellae and sandwich or trellis textures characterized by ilmenite lamellae formed through ulvöspinel oxidation. In situ elemental analyses demonstrate that vanadium is concentrated in magnetite relative to ilmenite and that oxidation-driven exsolution enhances V enrichment in residual magnetite while concentrating Ti into ilmenite. The textural type strongly controls liberation potential: cloth textures exhibit pervasive fine intergrowths that hinder beneficiation, whereas sandwich and trellis textures show coarser separable lamellae. These microstructural variations have direct implications for magnetic, gravity, and flotation processing efficiency. The results highlight the necessity of textural characterization to optimize V–Ti ore beneficiation strategies.