Kinetics of alkaline leaching process of Titanium(IV) from Ilmenite

The article deals with the kinetics process of alkaline leaching of ilmenite from the Irshan deposit; the prospects
of obtaining potassium titanate in comparison with sodium titanate are presented. Using the methods of X-ray
diffraction and electron microscopy, it has been studied that potassium and sodium titanates, obtained by the method
of alkaline melting from ilmenite concentrate, correspond to the structures described in the reference literature. The
degree of extraction depends on the time of interaction of ilmenite with sodium and potassium hydroxides, and the
optimal kinetic conditions are determined. We have established that during alkaline leaching of titanium(IV) with
potassium hydroxide, in the temperature range of 453 K - 533 K, the maximum degree of extraction is 86 % - 89
%. It is shown that the dependence “degree of transformation - time of isothermal interaction” is best described by
the “compressed sphere” model. From the temperature dependences of the potassium titanate leaching process, the
activation energy has been calculated, which is 22 kJ mol-1, which may indicate a kinetic regime with a low activation
energy, where the limiting stage is the chemical interaction between the melt components.