Enrichment of Sc2O3 and TiO2 from bauxite ore residues

As a major byproduct generated in the alumina industry, bauxite ore residue is an important reserve of scandium and titanium. In this study, the feasibility and mechanism of enriching Sc2O3 and TiO2 from a non-magnetic material, which was obtained from carbothermal reductive roasting and magnetic separation of bauxite ore residue, were investigated based on a two-step (acidic and alkali) leaching process. It was revealed that approximately 78% SiO2 and 30-40% of CaO, FeO and Al2O3 were removed from a non-magnetic material with 0.0134 wt.% Sc2O3 and 7.64wt.% TiO2 by phosphoric acidic leaching, while about 95% Al2O3 and P2O5 were further leached by subsequent sodium hydroxide leaching of the upper-stream leach residue. A Sc2O3-, TiO2- rich material containing 0.044wt.% Sc2O3 and 25.5 wt.% TiO2 was obtained, the recovery and the enrichment factor of Sc2O3 and TiO2 were about 85% and 5, respectively. The enrichment of Sc2O3 was attributed to higher pH (>3.3) of phosphoric acid solution than its dissolution pH(0), and the enrichment of TiO2 was mainly associated with the insoluble perovskite (CaTiO3) in the acidic solution at ambient temperature. As Sc2O3 and TiO2 cannot be dissolved in the alkali solution, they were further enriched in the leach residue. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.