Thermodynamic Consideration of the Removal of Iron from Titanium Ore by Selective Chlorination

Thermodynamic study of the chlorination reactions of oxides such as titanium oxides and iron oxides at elevated temperatures was carried out in order to consider the removal of iron from titanium ore using selective chlorination method. In particular, various chlorination reactions were analyzed by utilizing chemical potential diagrams, and the applicability and usefulness of this thermodynamic study for analyzing the selective chlorination of titanium ore were demonstrated. Furthermore, chlorination reactions using various types of chlorinating agents were discussed from different viewpoints. It was shown that the selective chlorination of iron from titanium ore by HCl gas is thermodynamically feasible and efficient for upgrading titanium ore. Further, thermodynamic analysis showed that under certain conditions, TiCl4 can be used as a chlorinating agent for the iron in the ore, and iron can be removed by evaporation directly from the ore as chloride gas. The results presented in this study provide useful information for developing a process for upgrading low-grade titanium ore for use as a titanium smelting feed through a dry method. (C) The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International 2014