Ilmenite Sand

Ilmenite is the titanium-iron oxide mineral with the idealized formula FeTiO3. Ilmenite Sand is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. From the commercial perspective, ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium. Most ilmenite is mined for titanium dioxide production. In 2011, about 47% of the titanium dioxide produced worldwide were based on Ilmenite Sand. Finely ground titanium dioxide is a bright white powder widely used as a base pigment in paint, paper and plastics. Ilmenite is ultimately converted into pigment grade titanium dioxide via either the sulfate process or the chloride process. Sulfate process plants must utilize low-vanadium ilmenite, as vanadium is a penalty element. Titanium dioxide pigment can also be produced from higher titanium content feed stocks such as upgraded slag, rutile and leucoxene via a chloride acid process. Sulfate and chloride process pigment tends to be used for lower and higher quality applications respectively, more and more users preferring the chloride process. Ilmenite Sand is also used in coatings for welding electrodes as a substitute for rutile.