Production of High Grade Synthetic Rutile, Pig iron and High Purity Iron Oxide from Ilmenite

Conversion of ilmenite to high grade synthetic rutile and other value added products. (a) I. Cost effective and energy efficient technology II. Uses coal as cheaper reductant; III. Continuous melting of reduced ilmenite using a specially designed plasma furnace; IV. High grade synthetic rutile with more than 95% TiO2; and Iron present in ilmenite is converted to value added products pig iron and high purity iron oxide. (b) The existing commercially used technology involves partial reduction of ilmenite so that iron values are removed partially by subjecting the ore to electro melting or thermo reduction followed by acid leaching. This produces ferrous chloride or solid iron oxide as byproducts, posing environmental problems. In the process developed, all iron values (nearly 40%) are converted into salable pig iron, a valuable raw material.