How to Titanium Ore Process?

What Is Titanium Ore?

Titanium ore refers to mineral resources rich in titanium, which primarily exists in the Earth’s crust in the form of oxides. It serves as the foundation for producing key materials such as titanium metal and titanium dioxide. In terms of resource distribution, titanium ore is mainly divided into two categories:

Significant Efficiency: These are often found in association with vanadium-titanium magnetite. Although they have a relatively low grade (typically 5%–10%), their reserves are vast. Due to their weak magnetic properties and high hardness, they must be purified through complex crushing, grinding, and high-gradient magnetic separation processes, representing a typical hard-rock titanium ore processing scenario.

Titanium Placer Ores: Formed through the natural weathering of primary ores, these deposits have a loose structure and excellent processability. Their primary composition consists of a combination of ilmenite and rutile, with TiO₂ grades generally exceeding 48%. They are the most favored low-cost, high-quality resources among mineral processing companies and represent a typical application for placer ore processing.

Whether recovering ilmenite through magnetic separation or purifying rutile using electrostatic separation, understanding the physical and chemical properties of the ore is a prerequisite for selecting an efficient titanium ore processing plant. Let’s take a look at the complete titanium ore beneficiation process.

Titanium Ore Process and Equipment

Titanium ore processing is a multi-stage workflow designed to efficiently separate titanium minerals (primarily ilmenite) from gangue, maximize recovery, and improve concentrate grade. The process generally follows four main stages: pre-treatment (crushing, screening, desliming, and agitation), gravity-based enrichment, magnetic separation, and optional fine particle purification through flotation or electrostatic separation. Each stage uses specialized equipment to handle different particle sizes, densities, and mineral properties, ensuring stable and high-efficiency operation.

System Equipment:

• Crushing & Screening System
• Desliming & Agitation System
• Gravity Separation System
• Magnetic Separation System
• Flotation & Electrostatic Separation System

Titanium Ore Processing Step-by-Step Guide

1. Pre-treatment Stage

Crushing & Screening

Jaw Crusher: Coarse crushing of raw ore to 3–5 mm, enabling initial liberation of titanium minerals. Feed size ≤1000 mm, Output size 50–150 mm, Capacity 50–500 t/h

Cone Crusher: Fine crushing to 1–2 mm, separating ilmenite from gangue minerals. Feed size 50–150 mm, Output size 1–2 mm, Capacity 30–300 t/h

Vibrating Screen / Roller Screen: Removes oversized rocks and ensures uniform particle size; uneven material returns for re-crushing. Screen area 1–3 m², Mesh 1–5 mm, Capacity 10–200 t/h

Desliming & Agitation

Hydrocyclone: Removes fine clay and mud to prevent interference with downstream separation. Diameter 150–500 mm, Capacity 5–50 t/h, Cut size 0.03–0.1 mm

Agitation Tank / Mixing Drum: Ensures even dispersion of ore slurry for uniform separation. Volume 1–10 m³, Agitator speed 200–600 rpm

2. Gravity Enrichment Stage

Coarse Gravity Separation

Spiral Chute: Treats fine-to-medium particles using centrifugal and gravity forces to separate ilmenite coarse concentrate, middling, and tailings. Length 1.5–3 m, Number of turns 6–12, Capacity 5–50 t/h

Jig / Multi-stage Spiral Chute (“2 coarse 3 fine”): Optimizes recovery and concentrate quality through closed-loop separation. Capacity 5–50 t/h, Particle size 0.5–2 mm

Fine Gravity Refinement

Shaking Table: Further refines fine particles to improve concentrate grade. Table length 2–4 m, Slope adjustable 2–6°, Capacity 2–15 t/h

3. Magnetic Separation Stage

Drum Magnetic Separator (Weak Magnetic): Separates weakly magnetic ilmenite from non-magnetic gangue for concentrate upgrade. Magnetic field 12000–18000 GS, Capacity 5–50 t/h, Drum width 600–1500 mm

High-Gradient Magnetic Separator (Strong Magnetic): Recovers residual fine ilmenite and removes tailings. Magnetic field ≥18000 GS, Capacity 1–10 t/h, Matrix length 500–1000 mm

4. Fine Particle Purification Stage (Optional)

Flotation Machine: Selectively separates fine ilmenite (<0.15 mm) using collectors such as fatty acids or phosphate esters. Cell volume 0.5–5 m³, Rotor speed 1000–1800 rpm, Capacity 1–20 t/h

Electrostatic Separator: Utilizes conductivity differences to separate ilmenite from non-conductive gangue in high-end processing plants.  Voltage 10–40 kV, Capacity 0.5–10 t/h, Roll diameter 300–600 mm

A complete titanium ore processing plant combines pre-treatment, gravity enrichment, magnetic separation, and optional flotation/electrostatic purification to achieve high recovery rates and concentrate grades suitable for industrial applications. Zhongyi Mining Machinery provides complete, customizable solutions for each stage, optimized for ore type, particle size, and production capacity.

Conclusion

Titanium ore processing is not merely a business transaction; it is the ultimate extraction of resources. If you are struggling with subpar beneficiation results or selecting the right solution for a new project, please contact our technical experts.

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