Argex claims TiO2 process 'breakthrough'
4 Jul 2012
Montreal, Quebec – Canadian company Argex Mining Inc. claims to have made a breakthrough with its patented CTL process which is running at the iron recovery circuit at its pilot plant in Mississauga, Ontario.
Continued process improvements on solvent extraction for the iron circuit have increased the iron concentration from 68 gpl to 120 gpl, significantly reducing the energy consumption and also improving the recovery of TiO2 by 3%. These improvements will ultimately find their way into a full-scale industrial production facility.
“Concentration by evaporation from 120 gpl to 140 gpl, which is the typical required concentration for the pyrohydrolysis acid regeneration unit, is much more energy efficient than concentrating from 68 gpl to 140 gpl,” said Enrico Di Cesare, chief operating officer, VP technology, at Argex.
“This is a major breakthrough for us and substantially saves energy, capital costs, and space,” he added. “The iron-rich solution in the form of ferric chloride is then treated in the acid recovery circuit. Work is continuing with Process Research Ortech to simplify and improve the CTL process.”
The CTL process is a proprietary mineral extraction process that allows for the production of high purity (99.8% pure) pigment grade TiO2 product, which can be sold at premium prices to the end-users in the paint, plastic and coating industries.
The process is unique because of its ability to produce high-purity TiO2, Iron and V2O5 through a single process directly from the ore material. The equipment used in all parts of the process is known and readily available.
According to Argex, the innovation of its process lies in how the equipment is used and on how the solvents and temperatures are properly balanced. The process operates at atmospheric pressure, thus avoiding the need to handle chemicals at very high temperatures.
The process is also said to feature high energy efficiency, low emissions and a closed-loop design, which uses relatively low levels of hydrochloric acid that is regenerated after use.
The process produces minimal inert tailings from the La Blache ore deposit, added Argex. These tailings, it suggested, could be used by the local construction industry for raw material.
