EFFECT OF TITANIUM SLAG PARTICLE SIZE ON THE ABILITY TO SYNTHESISE TiO₂ BY THE HYDROTHERMAL ALKALINE DISSOLUTION METHOD

Titanium slag is a by-product of iron extraction from Ilmenite ore. Titanium slag has a high TiO₂ content, so it is a suitable material for preparing TiO₂. This study investigated the influence of the slag particle size on the ability to synthesise TiO₂ by the hydrothermal alkalisation method. Three groups of titanium slag powder with average particle sizes from 18 μm to 108 μm were alkalised with a 10M NaOH solution to separate TiO₂ by the hydrothermal method. The mixing ratio by mass between the slag and the 10M NaOH solution is 1:1.5. The hydrothermal reaction was carried out at 180 °C for 7 hours. The products were analysed for their mineral, chemical, and microstructural properties using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive detector. The results show that the particle size significantly influences the efficiency of the TiO₂ chemical extraction from the titanium slag. The formed TiO₂ is of high purity, and the main mineral composition is anatase. The anatase polymorph of TiO₂ has the potential application as a photocatalyst and an antibacterial material.