Effect of mechanical activation on the kinetics of sulfuric acid leaching of beach sand ilmenite from Orissa, India

The effect of mechanical activation on the phase constitution, particle size and distribution, surface area, unit cell parameters, crystallite size and strain of a beach sand ilmenite concentrate from Chatrapur, Orissa, India and their effect on the kinetics of sulfuric acid leaching have been investigated. It was observed that mechanical activation significantly enhances the dissolution of both iron and titanium in sulfuric acid. The kinetic parameters for leaching of the activated samples were determined using a nonlinear least squares minimization procedure. The activation energy for leaching of iron was marginally higher than that of titanium and both decreased monotonically with activation time.