Ilmenite is the titanium-iron oxide mineral with the
idealized formula FeTiO
3. It is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. From the commercial perspective, ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium.
3. It is a weakly magnetic black or steel-gray solid. From the commercial perspective, ilmenite is the most important ore of titanium.
Detailed description
Ilmenite is the main source of titanium
dioxide, which is used in paints, fabrics, plastics, paper, sunscreen, food and
cosmetics.
Mineral chemistry
Ilmenite most often
contains appreciable quantities of magnesium and manganese and the full
chemical formula can be expressed as (Fe,Mg,Mn,Ti)O3. Ilmenite forms
a solid solution with geikielite (MgTiO
3) and pyrophanite (MnTiO
3) which are magnesian and manganiferous end-members of the solid solution series.
3) and pyrophanite (MnTiO
3) which are magnesian and manganiferous end-members of the solid solution series.
Although there
appears evidence of the complete range of mineral chemistries in the
(Fe,Mg,Mn,Ti)O3 system naturally occurring on Earth, the vast
bulk of ilmenites are restricted to close to the ideal FeTiO
3 composition, with minor mole percentages of Mn and Mg. A key exception is in the ilmenites of kimberlites where the mineral usually contains major amounts of geikielite molecules, and in some highly differentiated felsic rocks ilmenites may contain significant amounts of pyrophanite molecules.
3 composition, with minor mole percentages of Mn and Mg. A key exception is in the ilmenites of kimberlites where the mineral usually contains major amounts of geikielite molecules, and in some highly differentiated felsic rocks ilmenites may contain significant amounts of pyrophanite molecules.
At higher temperatures it has been demonstrated
there is a complete solid solution between ilmenite and hematite. There is a miscibility gap at lower
temperatures, resulting in a coexistence of these two minerals in rocks but no
solid solution. This coexistence may result in exsolution lamellae in cooled
ilmenites with more iron in the system than can be homogeneously accommodated
in the crystal lattice.
Altered ilmenite forms
the mineral leucoxene, an important
source of titanium in heavy mineral sands ore deposits. Leucoxene is a typical
component of altered gabbro and diorite and is
generally indicative of ilmenite in the unaltered rock.
PRICE
$10.195/KG
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