Perovskite and titanite as possible non-conventional sources of titanium: case study of the Afrikanda deposit

Abstract

Titanium, a strategic element, is widely used in various industries in the Russian Federation. However, titanium ore deposits of conventional types with appraised reserves (ilmenite-titanomagnetite ± apatite, titanomagnetite and leucoxene-quartz bedrock deposits, as well as placers with zircon, rutile and ilmenite) have not been mined yet on a commercial scale. Therefore, our aim is to use non-conventional mineral types of ores, e.g. perovskite and titanite ores. The Afrikanda deposit is one of the biggest titanium deposits on the Kola Peninsula. The author discusses the results of the study of a technological titanomagnetite-perovskite sample from the deposit produced by flotation dressing of titanium-bearing concentrate and its reworking to end products by autoclave nitric acid. The results obtained show the complete decomposition of perovskite and titanite upon selective separation of Ti from Ca, Fe, Nb, Ta and REE.