Solar Carbothermic Reduction of Ilmenite Using Palm Kernel Shell Biomass
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https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-020-04297-z Ó 2020 The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society
HIGH TEMPERATURE PROCESSING OF COMPLEX ORES
Solar Carbothermic Reduction of Ilmenite Using Palm Kernel Shell Biomass AGUNG SETIAWAN,1,4 MATTHEW SHAW,2,5 AARON TORPY,3,6 MARK I. POWNCEBY ,3,7 SRI HARJANTO ,1,8 and M. AKBAR RHAMDHANI 2,9 1.—Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Indonesia, Kampus Baru UI, Depok 16424, Indonesia. 2.—Fluid and Process Dynamcis (FPD) Research Group, Department of Mechanical and Product Design Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, John St., Melbourne, VIC 3122, Australia. 3.—CSIRO Mineral Resources, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC 3169, Australia. 4.—e-mail: auagung. [email protected]. 5.—e-mail: [email protected]. 6.—e-mail: [email protected]. 7.—e-mail: [email protected]. 8.—e-mail: [email protected]. 9.—e-mail: ARhamdhani@ swin.edu.au
A carbothermic reduction of complex Kalimantan ilmenite (FeTiO3) with palm kernel shell biomass as a reducing agent using regular electric and simulated solar heating has been investigated. The results demonstrate that palm kernel shell biomass can be used as an alternative reductant for the carbothermic reduction. Incomplete ilmenite dissociation was observed at 1000°C and 1100°C for 60 min reaction time using an electric furnace. Complete ilmenite dissociation was attained at 1200°C using both electric and solar furnaces. The major phases formed upon reduction at 1000°C were TiO2 (rutile) and Fe(m). Pseudobrookite (Fe, Mg, Mn)(Ti2O5) was formed at 1100°C, and higher concentrations were observed at 1200°C for 60 min reaction time. Reduction at 1200°C using a solar furnace promoted pseudobrookite formation, and a unique streak morphology of Fe(m) was observed as opposed to a globular structure found in samples heated in an electric furnace. It is suggested that this may be due to localized overheating by solar radiation that promoted rapid local reduction.
INTRODUCTION Complex weathered ilmenite (FeTiO3) ores are used as a mineral resource for the production of synthetic rutile (TiO2), the precursor for pigment production, as well as for titanium metal.1–3 There are several methods for processing ilmenite ore to TiO2 and titanium products,4–10 and in most methods, reduction of ilmenite ore plays an important step. For example, in the Becher process,11 ilmenite is reduced using coal and forming Fe(m), which is subsequently removed through aeration and leaching procedures. In a smelting process, ilmenite is carbothermically reduced and melted to produce pig iron and a high TiO2 containing slag.12 Alternative reduction routes that have lower carbon footprints and are thus more environmentally friendly have been examined by others.
(Received April 13, 2020; accepted July 15, 2020)
Tripathy et al. (Ref. 13) investigated different sources of carbon (coke containing 80% fixed carbon and graphite) on ilmenite reduction at 1000– 1200°C. They reported that reduction at 1100°C was controlle
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