1. Extractive metallurgy and raw materials

1.1 Obtaining oxide

There are a relatively large number of titanium ores (no fewer than 87 varieties), but industrial mining focuses mainly on two of them: rutile and ilmenite.

Rutile is the natural form of titanium dioxide (97 to 98.5% TiO ₂ ), to which various metallic impurities such as iron or manganese are added; it is found mainly in the USA, Australia, and Norway.

Ilmenite is a mixture of titanate and iron oxides; it is therefore impure (maximum Ti content 30%), but much more widespread than rutile; the main deposits are in the CIS (Russia, Ukraine and especially Kazakhstan), Canada, India, Africa (especially South Africa) and South America. Table