Ultrasound-enhanced ilmenite leaching mechanism and response surface optimization
摘要
The low leaching efficiency of ilmenite has brought technical obstacles to the production of titanium dioxide by sulfuric acid method. Although ultrasound-assisted leaching has been extensively investigated, the dynamic mechanism of the enhanced leaching effect of ilmenite is still not fully understood. In this study, the Box–Behnken response surface methodology was employed to systematically evaluate the interactive effects of solid–liquid ratio, temperature, ultrasonic power, and leaching time on titanium leaching performance. The results demonstrated that ultrasonic time exerted the most substantial influence, followed by temperature, solid–liquid ratio, and ultrasonic power. Under the optimized conditions, a titanium leaching efficiency of 98.47% was achieved, representing a 5.89% improvement over conventional leaching. Kinetic analysis indicated that both ultrasonic and non-ultrasonic leaching processes follow the Drozdov model and are governed by internal diffusion control. Furthermore, ultrasonic treatment reduced the activation energy by 17.05 kJ/mol, offering quantitative insight into the intensification mechanism from a kinetic standpoint. By integrating systematic experimentation with theoretical analysis, this study provides valuable insights for the industrial implementation of ultrasound-enhanced titanium leaching processes.