High-pressure oxygen leaching of tionite residue for titanium recovery
Tionite is a solid residue formed during the production of titanium dioxide through the chloride process. This material is acidic and contains a high concentration of titanium, which makes it a potential secondary resource for titanium recovery. Instead of being disposed of as hazardous waste, tionite can be processed to extract valuable metals, particularly titanium. In this study, the recovery of titanium from tionite was carried out using an autoclave leaching method under high-pressure oxygen conditions. The presence of oxygen under pressure promotes the formation of titanium oxysulfate, which enhances the dissolution of titanium into solution. This approach enables selective leaching of titanium while limiting the dissolution of other unwanted elements. The leaching experiments were designed to explore optimal conditions for efficient titanium recovery, including temperature, pressure, and leaching time. The main objective of this research is to present a viable route for the valorisation of tionite by turning a hazardous acidic waste into a valuable source of titanium. This process contributes to waste reduction in the titanium dioxide industry and supports more sustainable resource management.