Sepg. ilmenite from rutile in ilmenite leach tails - for higher titanium yield from titanium-bearing source

Ilmenite and rutile in solid leach tails from an HCl leached Ti bearing source are sepd. from gangue in a flotation collector and treated by (a) roasting recovered ilmenite and rutile in a hydrous atmos., pref. water vapour or steam, to convert the metallic Fe in ilmenite to magnetic state and (b) sepg. magnetic ilmenite from nonmagnetic rutile. The ilmenite and rutile are obtd. by (i) reductive roasting the Ti-bearing source at 650-1008 degrees C., (ii) treating with aq. Hcl leach at pH 6-8, 85-105 degrees C to solubilise Ti metal values, (iii) sepg. solubilised Ti metal values from solid leach tails of ilmenite, rutile and solid gangue of SiO2, mica and quartz and (iv) charging solids to a flotation collector contg. water slurry, where gangue sinks to the bottom and ilmenite and rutile are recovered from the surface. Ti yields are increased in an economical and commercially feasible manner, with sepd. ilmenite recycled to (i) and rutile processed to recover Ti values.