Physical Properties of
Ilmenite – Titanium

There was a time when titanium was not used very much and people were clueless as far as what to use it for and even during more modern times (mid 1940’s) it was still not highly regarded as a useful metal but rather known as a laboratory interest. This metal can be found in a number of areas and include the kind of place it got its name Ilmenite from, which was the Ilmen Lake in the Ilmen Moutains, it can also be found in Miask which is in the South of the Ural Mountain Chain, Sweden, Russia, Germany, Norway, Gilgit, Kragero, Quebec, Canada, Finland, Australia, Brazil, China, Thailand, India, South Africa, New York, and a number of states in the United States as well. Ilmenite is considered an important metal and is quite an interesting mineral as well. It will form as a primary mineral in mafic igneous rocks and is concentrated in layers through a process that is known as magmatic segregation. This mineral crystallizes out of a magma quicker than other minerals will. When this occurs it causes the crystals that are heavier to fall to the bottom of the magma compartment and accumulates in layers. These layers are then what make up a rich ore body for titanium minerals. Occurrences of ilmenite can also be found in pegmatites as well as certain metamorphic rocks in the sedimentary rocks that come about from the weathering and the erosion they go through. Ever since ilmenite was discovered, it has turned into a very important mineral and is actually now one of the most essential ore of titanium. In the past titanium was not utilized a lot and people were not sure about what to do with it and as previously mentioned it was not highly regarded as a useful metal but rather known as a laboratory interest. Now though we know that titanium is a strong aluminum like metal, it is light weight, does not corrode and is able to withstand very extreme temperatures. Titanium alloys are utilized a great deal in high tech airplanes, space vehicles, missiles, and it is even used in the medical field such as in surgical implants. Besides this, titanium dioxide, which is a white pigment that is utilized more in paints a lead pain is currently not being used because of health problems that could be related to it. As a matter a fact, over ninety percent of the world wide use of titanium is for the production of the white pigment mentioned and this is due to the fact that this pigment has excellent luster, good endurance, and high capacity and is of a pure white color. It is in addition utilized to add color to  textiles, ink, plastics, rubber, leather, cosmetics, ceramics, and paper. Titanium and titanium compounds are also utilized in electrical components, desalination plants, glass products, jewelry, artificial gemstones, and in some cases as smoke screens. The countries that mine ilmenite are Brazil, Russia, Australia, Canada, Norway, Sri Lanka, China, Thailand, Malaysia, India, South Africa, Sierra Leone and the U.S.A.