Preparation of synthetic rutile from high titanium slag using microwave heating

In this work, we demonstrate a novel synthesis of synthetic rutile from high titanium slag. This rutile TiO₂was obtained by a simple one-step microwave roasting route. The influence of microwave roasting temperature and duration on the phase transformation of high titanium slag has been assessed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) results indicate that the intensity of anosovite (Fe₃Ti₃O₁₀) phase, which were the major phase of high titanium slag of carbon thermal reduction of ilmenite ores, decreased rapidly while the peaks for rutile TiO₂phase increased with increase in the microwave roasting temperature. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) images revealed formation and the particle-size distribution of rutile TiO₂phase. Based on XRD and SEM analysis, confirmed the dependence of phase structure, composition and crystallite size on the process conditions of microwave roasting.