Rutile is an important titanium-containing mineral and an important raw material for the production of titanium dioxide. Its main component is titanium dioxide and it belongs to the tetragonal system. Rutile aggregates are granular or dense blocks, with streak color ranging from yellow to light brown. Its Mohs hardness is about 6, its specific gravity is 4.25, and the mineral crystals are glassy or metallic. It is a gem with a terrifyingly high dispersion rate, which is 6 to 8 times that of diamond. (Rutile dispersion rate 0.28~0.33>> diamond 0.044) is currently recognized as the gem with the highest dispersion value and can be used to manufacture certain optical components. Rutile is mainly produced in gneiss, pegmatite, eclogite (amphibolite) rock and sand mines.

Utilization of rutile resources:

Rutile has excellent properties such as high and low temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, high strength, and low specific gravity. Natural rutile is a high-quality raw material for the production of titanium dioxide, sponge titanium, titanium tetrachloride and other titanium products.

In the field of information technology, nickel-titanium alloys are used for electronic micro switches, mobile phone antennas, etc.

In the field of new energy, titanium metal is used in steam turbine condensers and cooling water heat exchangers in nuclear power plants and thermal power plants; nickel-titanium alloys are used in temperature control switches and high-power cable connection plugs.

In the field of new materials, titanium alloy materials are widely used in vascular stents and non-vascular stents, dental orthopedic wires, and various orthopedic applications.

In the field of biological environmental protection, it is mainly used for medical titanium alloys.

In the field of high-end manufacturing, titanium alloys are used in the manufacture of aircraft engine compressors, fan blades, landing gear and other related parts. In addition, they are also used to manufacture nuclear submarine shells, internal pipeline loop systems and deep-sea submersible structural materials.

In traditional application fields, it is used for coatings, pigments, plastic products, catalysts, and ceramic products.

Development of rutile resources:

The global annual output of rutile is about 600,000 tons, and the main producing countries are Sierra Leone, Australia, South Africa, Ukraine and the United States. The world's largest single rutile producer is Sierra Rutile Company, with an annual output of 220,000 tons, LRA Company produces about 80,000 tons of rutile per year, and RBM Company in South Africa produces 125,000 tons of rutile per year. The annual output of China's largest single rutile beneficiation plant is less than 3,000 tons. In addition, the grade of the original ore is low, and the relative production cost is too high, so it cannot form economies of scale and cannot maintain production.

China has a large reserve of natural rutile resources, but most of them are low-grade primary ores, so the processing cost is high and the products lack market competitiveness. Simplifying the process, reducing production costs, and improving the recovery rate of beneficiation and the comprehensive utilization level of ore are the keys to the development and utilization of China's rutile resources.

As an important titanium-containing resource, rutile has a wide range of uses. With the rapid development of new energy, new materials and other fields, it will further promote the development and utilization of China's rutile resources.

Application of advanced beneficiation technology:

In this process, advanced beneficiation technology is one of the keys to achieving the above goals. The photoelectric beneficiation equipment provided by MINGDER may play an important role in this process. Photoelectric beneficiation technology is a non-contact, efficient sorting method that uses spectral response characteristics to identify and classify minerals, and can be used in dry or wet sorting processes. The advantages of this type of technology are that it can handle fine-grained materials, has high sorting accuracy and efficiency, and in some cases can reduce water consumption, which is also of positive significance to water resource protection. In addition, photoelectric mineral separation can replace traditional chemical flotation to a certain extent, reducing environmental pollution caused by the use of chemicals.