Abstract:
In the purpose of determining the ore properties and provide a scientific basis for the efficient utilization of a vanadium-titanium magnetite ore in Xinjiang. This study conducted systematic mineralogical research using analytical methods, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), and an automated mineralogy identification and characterization system (AMICS). The research results indicate that the ore is a low-grade lean ore, with the main valuable elements being iron and titanium. The total iron (TFe) grade is 11.64%, and the titanium dioxide (TiO
2) grade is 3.83%. The ore also contains a high proportion of SiO
2 (42.60%) and Al
2O
3 (12.69%), as well as a relatively high content of P
2O
5 (2.23%). The mineral composition of the ore is complex, with gangue minerals accounting for over 80%, mainly plagioclase (38.99%), amphibole (13.48%), and pyroxene (12.43%). In this ore, magnetite is the main carrier of iron, with a distribution rate accounting for 40.63% of the total iron. Ilmenite is the main carrier of titanium, with a titanium distribution rate as high as 80.55% of the total titanium. The complex embedding relationship between magnetite and ilmenite is a key factor affecting mineral processing recovery. Unlike typical vanadian-titanomagnetite, this ore contains fine-grained magnetite embedded within ilmenite, making the separation of this portion of magnetite from ilmenite extremely difficult. The chloritization and sphene-ization of ilmenite also affect the quality of the concentrate. In future mineral processing research, the focus should be on the liberation of iron and titanium minerals, the removal of gangue minerals, and the control of harmful associated elements.