Pseudorutile—a New Mineral Intermediate between Ilmenite and Rutile in the N Alteration of Ilmenite

Abstract

ALTERATION of the mineral ilmenite, FeO·TiO₂ in nature involves the processes of oxidation and leaching whereby iron is progressively removed to give a residual product, essentially TiO₂. Several investigations have been reported of the alteration products of ilmenite, but apart from composites of known oxides of iron and titanium, no distinct intermediate phase has been discovered. As a result of an investigation of several altered ilmenite concentrates by X-ray techniques hitherto not applied to this problem, a new crystalline phase has been identified as a major constituent of altered ilmenite. The new phase crystallizes in a disordered structure of hexagonal symmetry and has the theoretical composition Fe₂O₃·3TiO₂. We propose the name ‘pseudorutile’ for this new mineral.