Recent technology developments in beneficiation and enrichment of ilmenite: A review

The supply of the strategic metal titanium is of great significance in ensuring the sustainable development of the national economy and national defense. As an irreplaceable raw material in the titanium industry, ilmenite has become increasingly prominent in its commercial demand and strategic position. With high-quality ilmenite resources continuing to be developed, these resources are typically characterized by low grade, fine embedded particle sizes, and high impurity content. The development of efficient beneficiation and enrichment processes for ilmenite has garnered widespread attention. This paper provides an extensive investigation of the latest research developments, with a comprehensive overview of ilmenite’s distribution and characteristics being offered. The effectiveness and constraints of various separation technologies, including gravity separation, magnetic separation, electrostatic separation, and flotation are systematically evaluated. Additionally, a special emphasis is placed on enhancing flotation technology through the introduction of innovative flotation collectors, surface modification techniques, and the development of new flotation technologies. Furthermore, the current status of ilmenite concentrate enrichment and the removal of impurities for the preparation of titanium-rich materials are outlined. This review aims to deepen the understanding of ilmenite beneficiation and concentrate enrichment technology, and further promote the technological innovation of ilmenite resource efficient utilization.