Patented treatment, process for ilmenite

摘要

Using a new way of thinking to free up the ilmenite deposit at Westport, New Zealand has led Austpac Gold NL to patent a new treatment process for titanium dioxide. Austpac chairman Mike Turbott believes the project is now economic and is ready for development with the right partner having the appropriate marketing skills and chemical technology. The conventional Becher process for synthetic rutile that works so well on Western Australian weathered ilmenite cannot efficiently treat fresh ilmenite. In addition, fresh Westport ilmenite contains inclusions - mostly silicates and garnets which makes conventional beneficiation difficult.