In Canada, the separation of TiO₂ (titanium dioxide) from iron ore typically involves specialized equipment designed to exploit differences in physical or chemical properties between the two minerals. Below are key methods and equipment used for this purpose in Canadian mining operations:
1. Magnetic Separation
– Equipment: Low-intensity or high-intensity magnetic separators (LIMS/HIMS), wet high-intensity magnetic separators (WHIMS).
– Application: Iron ore is strongly magnetic (magnetite), while TiO₂ minerals (ilmenite, rutile) are weakly magnetic or non-magnetic. Magnetic separators can remove iron-rich components.
2. Gravity Separation
– Equipment: Spiral concentrators, shaking tables, jigs, centrifugal concentrators (e.g., Falcon, Knelson).
– Application: Used when TiO₂-bearing minerals (e.g., ilmenite) have a higher specific gravity than gangue materials.
3. Flotation
– Equipment: Froth flotation cells with selective collectors.
– Application: Used for fine-grained ores where surface chemistry differences allow TiO₂ to float while iron minerals sink.
4. Electrostatic Separation
– Equipment: High-tension roll/plate separators.
– Application: Effective for dry separation of conductive (iron ore) vs. non-conductive (TiO₂) minerals.
5. Leaching & Chemical Processing
– Equipment: Acid leaching tanks, solvent extraction units.
– Application: If TiO₂ is present in ilmenite, sulfuric acid leaching can dissolve iron, leaving a TiO₂-rich residue.
Canadian Suppliers & Operations
Canada has several mining equipment providers and research institutions specializing in mineral processing:
– FLSmidth & Metso Outotec – Supply magnetic and gravity separation systems.
– SGS Canada & CanmetMINING – Offer testing and optimization services for TiO₂/iron ore separation.
– Quebec Iron & Titanium (QIT) – Operates the Lac Tio mine in Quebec, extracting ilmenite from hematite using magnetic and gravity methods.
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