Optimization of Banten Ilmenite Leaching using Hydrochloric Acid

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is most widely used in industry as a pigment. Titanium dioxide can be found in natural rutile, leucoxene and ilmenite. As the deposits containing high titanium were decreasing, extraction of titanium dioxide from ilmenite was proposed. Ilmenite (FeTiO3) is a source of titanium minerals that often found in rocks or iron sand. Ilmenite Banten is one of the titanium deposits in Indonesia in the form of iron sand, which is still rarely explored and has a TiO2 content of 35. Titanium dioxide was extracted from Banten ilmenite using a hydrometallurgical method i.e.: leaching using hydrochloric acid (HCl). This study aims to determine an efficient process for producing titanium dioxide by optimizing the operation parameters. Optimization was carried out using the response surface methodology (RSM). This optimization study investigated the effects of independent variables which are hydrochloric acid concentration (3 M, 7 M and 11 M), leaching temperature (30°C, 60°C and 90°C) and leaching time (5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 90 and 150 minutes). The results of the predictive statistical model showed that the concentration of hydrochloric acid was the most influential variable in the ilmenite leaching process compared to operating temperature and leaching time. The concentration of HCl has the highest F-value that affects the amount of TiO2 recovery. Optimum conditions were obtained using 11 M hydrochloric acid at 90°C for 150 minutes. Recovery of titanium dioxide obtained at optimum conditions reached 77.79. © 2024 American Institute of Physics Inc.. All rights reserved.