Microwave roasting-assisted separation and enrichment of titanium-enriched phases from titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag

CHEN Mao; LI Yehui; CHEN Buxin; HU Meilong

doi:10.7513/j.issn.1004-7638.2026.03.001

Volume 47 Issue 3

Jun. 2026

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CHEN Mao, LI Yehui, CHEN Buxin, HU Meilong. Microwave roasting-assisted separation and enrichment of titanium-enriched phases from titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag[J]. IRON STEEL VANADIUM TITANIUM, 2026, 47(3): 1-9. doi: 10.7513/j.issn.1004-7638.2026.03.001

Citation:

CHEN Mao, LI Yehui, CHEN Buxin, HU Meilong. Microwave roasting-assisted separation and enrichment of titanium-enriched phases from titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag[J]. IRON STEEL VANADIUM TITANIUM, 2026, 47(3): 1-9. doi: 10.7513/j.issn.1004-7638.2026.03.001

Citation:

CHEN Mao, LI Yehui, CHEN Buxin, HU Meilong. Microwave roasting-assisted separation and enrichment of titanium-enriched phases from titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag[J]. IRON STEEL VANADIUM TITANIUM, 2026, 47(3): 1-9. doi: 10.7513/j.issn.1004-7638.2026.03.001

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Microwave roasting-assisted separation and enrichment of titanium-enriched phases from titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag

doi: 10.7513/j.issn.1004-7638.2026.03.001

CHEN Mao^{1, 2
,},
LI Yehui³,
CHEN Buxin^{1, 2, 3},
HU Meilong^{3
,
,}

1.
Sichuan Provincial Key Laboratory for High-Value Utilization of Vanadium and Titanium Resources, Panzhihua 617000, Sichuan, China
2.
Pangang Group Research Institute Co., Ltd., Panzhihua 617000, Sichuan, China
3.
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400024, China

More Information

Received Date: 2026-03-02
Accepted Date: 2026-03-26
Rev Recd Date: 2026-03-23
Publish Date: 2026-06-29

Abstract

Abstract

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) in titanium-bearing electric furnace molten slag is characterized by complex mineral phases, low titanium grade, and high impurity content, which greatly increases the difficulty of titanium separation and enrichment. In this work, a combined process of microwave roasting and separation was proposed to realize titanium enrichment from titanium-bearing electric furnace molten slag. The effects of microwave roasting on the separation and enrichment of titanium-rich phases (mainly anosovite) were systematically investigated, and the process parameters of microwave roasting, alkaline leaching and flotation were optimized. Based on experimental results, grinding efficiency, flotation recovery, and comprehensive analyses of XRD, SEM-EDS, and Zeta potential, the regulatory mechanism of microwave roasting on the phase composition, microstructure, and phase boundary characteristics of titanium-bearing molten slag was clarified. The results show that the optimal microwave roasting parameters are as follows: particle size of 1–5 mm, microwave power of 2400 W, roasting in a corundum crucible, and heat preservation at 900 ℃ for 20 min. Under these conditions, the proportion of ground particles finer than 74 μm increases from 63% for the raw slag to 96%, which significantly improves the mineral dissociation efficiency. Microwave roasting generates thermal stress cracks via selective heating, which weakens the interfacial bonding strength between anosovite, magnesia-alumina spinel and titanaugite, thereby providing favorable conditions for the subsequent efficient separation of titanium-bearing phases. The optimal alkaline leaching condition is a NaOH concentration of 20% for 1 h. The best flotation performance is achieved at a slurry pH of 6 and a sodium oleate collector concentration of 30 mg/L. After treatment by the combined microwave roasting–alkaline leaching–flotation process, the anosovite content and recovery rate of flotation concentrates reach 94.2% and 85.4%, which are 38.2% and 36.1% higher than those of the raw slag treated by the same process, respectively. This study provides an effective and feasible technical route for the efficient enrichment and utilization of titanium resources from titanium-bearing molten slag.
- anosovite,
- microwave roasting,
- titanium-bearing electric furnace smelting slag,
- separation and enrichment,
- titanium resource recovery

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References(18)

References

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