Process mechanisms in ilmenite smelting

Johan Zietsman

2019-04-24

It has previously been observed that industrial high-titania slags display a compositional invariance, remaining close to stoichiometric M3O5. The present study focuses on this invariance and the phenomena which may cause it. The invariance was studied using thermochemical calculations and a mechanism is proposed for the observed behaviour. The mechanism suggests that a combination of thermochemical equilibrium and transient slag solidification and melting results in the observed compositional invariance. The proposed mechanism provides new insights and prompts questions about other mechanisms in the smelting process.

Journal of the SAIMM J.H. Zietsman and P.C. Pistorius April 2005, vol. 105, no. 4, pp. 229 © SAIMM Journal

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Dr Jaco Swanepoel 2024

Dr Jaco Swanepoel

SENIOR PROCESS ENGINEER

Jaco is a Chemical Engineer with twelve years of experience in projects that range from reactive metals handling, reactive metal powder production in molten salt slurry reactors, extractive metallurgy to microwave-assisted gas-solid materials processing.
Jaco contributed to three process patents and obtained a PhD degree in Chemical Engineering. Jaco also completed the KTP Management and Leadership Study Program at Ashorne Hill Management College, England.

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Stefan van der Merwe

Lead Engineer Digital

Stefan’s greatest passion is to enable people. By combining his greatest passion with his love for technology, he finds joy in making computing infrastructure accessible to the non-technical, and developing software that uncomplicates tasks. As a software engineer with qualifications in electronic engineering and bioengineering, Stefan is responsible for software development, enabling the team and clients to advance through insight.