Optimisation of TiO2 synthesis from ilmenite sand and its application in the photocatalytic process

Iron sand, a mineral, can be extracted to produce titanium dioxide (TiO2). TiO2 is a semiconductor material that is commonly used in photocatalytic applications, as well as electronics, colour pigments, paint manufacturing, and semiconductors. In this study, TiO2 was extracted from Banten ilmenite sand using caustic fusion and hydrometallurgical methods. The TiO2 extraction process was carried out by varying the mole ratio of ilmenite sand to NaOH, which was 1:0, 1:3, and 1:5, and the fusion temperatures were 700°C and 850°C, with time variations of 30, 60, and 90 min. XRF analysis revealed that the highest TiO2 composition was 91.64 in samples with a mole ratio of 1:3 during 30 min of fusion time and 91.14 in samples with a mole ratio of 1:5 during 90 min of fusion time. The XRD data revealed that TiO2 has a rutile phase with a tetragonal structure, while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis revealed that the particle distribution in the sample is not uniform. The UV-Vis measurements revealed that TiO2 has a band gap of 3.10 at 700°C and 3.13 at 850°C. Furthermore, TiO2 degraded Rhodamine B dyes at a rate of 28.266. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.