In this work a technological route was proposed aiming at the reduction of hematite to magnetite and the release of titanium present in red mud from Hydro Alunorte. The fluorescence and x ray diffraction analysis showed that the red mud presents in their composition approximately 5% of titanium oxide as anatase and 28% of iron oxide in the forms of hematite and goethite. Therefore, the proposed route will enable the obtainment of a material with magnetic characteristics which can be used as source of titanium after extraction of iron compounds in magnetic form. So, the reduction of the hematite to the magnetite was carried out by thermal
treatment in a reducing atmosphere. To accomplish this, mixtures were made in different concentrations of red mud and charcoal. These mixtures were calcined at temperatures of 500, 600 and 1000 ° C for two hours. Then, X ray diffraction analysis were performed, which showed that the hematite was reduced to magnetite in all experimental conditions and, for the mixtures calcined at 1000 ° C, besides the formation of the magnetite, there was also the formation of maghemite. Through analysis of Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, it was verified that for calcination temperatures of 500 to 600° C titanium remained in the free form of anatase, but for the calcination carried out at 1000° C this passed to the combined form with iron (ilmenite). The technological route allowed the formation of magnetite from the red mud, which can be extracted with the use of a magnetic separator.
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