Abstract:
The content of titanium minerals in the refractory titanium-zircon rough concentrate in Malawi is about 48%. However, due to the complexity of iron and titanium distribution, there are many types of recyclable titanium minerals and the magnetic changes are large. Meanwhile, there are existing some hematite with similar magnetic and density to titanium and some magnetic gangues with large specific gravity such as garnet and amphibole. When magnetic separation is used, hematite, garnet and amphibole will enter the titanium concentrate affecting the grade of titanium concentrate. Therefore, it is difficult to obtain qualified titanium concentrate by conventional magnetic separation or gravity separation method. For a seashore sand-titanium-zirconium rough concentrate in Malawi, the research basis of process mineralogy by MLA technology system and the mineral composition and the difference of characteristics between minerals were obtained. According to the magnetic enhancement after hematite reduction roasting and the difference in electrical properties between magnetic gangue and titanium mineral, the process of "wet low intensity magnetic separation-dry magnetic separation (reduction roasting-wet low intensity magnetic separation)-electric separation-gravity separation was adopted, which can realize the effective separation of hematite and magnetic gangue which were easy to enter into titanium concentrate. Finally, the titanium concentrate with TiO
2 content of 49.17% and recovery of 66.36% was obtained. Three zirconium concentrate with ZrO
2 content of 65.04%, 60.78% and 55.79% was obtained, respectively. The total recovery of zirconium concentrate was 89.28%. Meanwhile, rutile, magnetite and rare earth were recovered comprehensively. This study solved the key technical problems of difficult separation of titanium and hematite and magnetic gangue minerals in titanium-zirconium coarse concentrate, and provided a technical way for the effective utilization of such titanium-zirconium resources.