Synthesis of Mesoporous Nanoparticles of TiO2 in Anatase form from Ilmenite Concentrate

In this study, the synthesis of mesoporous Nanoparticles of titanium dioxide (TiO2) from Ilmenite concentrate was studied. The Ilmenite concentrate was milled using planetary mill prior to iron leach out by Hydrochloric acid. The effect of leaching time and temperature were studied in different levels as they have been recognized the most affecting parameters amongst the other studied parameters. Then the obtained hydrolyzed titanium residual leached by sodium hydroxide to eliminate the silica and other impurities. An additive agents’ micelles were used to land TiO2 on them as desired. The Nano mesoporous TiO2 particles were consequently obtained through removal of micelles by thermal treatment of the precipitates (air calcination) 400 °C. Different analytical methods were used to characterize the TiO2 mesoporous Nanoparticles, such as XRD, and BET. The synthesis procedure was modified in terms of grinding intensity, HCl concentration, reaction temperature and leach time duration to achieve the lowest amount of iron in the final TiO2 product. The results showed that the milling and the concentration of HCl affect the final content of the TiO2. Such combination of operating parameters could be used for preparation of highly pure Nano mesoporous TiO2 for variety of applications such as Dye-sensitized solar cell.

Synthesis of Mesoporous Nanoparticles of TiO2 in Anatase form from Ilmenite Concentrate Keywords:

Mesoporous Nanoparticle , Titanium dioxide , Ilmenite , Anatase