Ilmenite and rutile are the two chief ore minerals of which metal?

Ilmenite (iron titanium oxide) and rutile (titanium dioxide) are the two main ores of titanium. Rutile contains more titanium (about 95 per cent titanium dioxide) and is of higher grade, while ilmenite is far more abundant.

Where they are found:

• Both minerals are heavy and resistant to weathering, so they are concentrated in beach sands and old river sands, along with monazite, zircon, garnet and sillimanite.
• In India, they occur mainly in the beach sands of Kerala (Chavara), Tamil Nadu (Manavalakurichi), Odisha (Chatrapur) and Andhra Pradesh.
• India has some of the largest ilmenite resources in the world.

Industries in India:

• Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL) mines and separates beach sand minerals.
• Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), at Chavara, produces titanium dioxide pigment and runs India's first titanium sponge plant.
• Travancore Titanium Products, in Thiruvananthapuram, produces titanium dioxide.

Uses of titanium dioxide (the largest use of these ores):

White pigment for paints, paper, plastics, toothpaste, sunscreens and cosmetics, because it is very bright, opaque and non-toxic.

Uses of titanium metal:

• Titanium is as strong as steel but about 45 per cent lighter, and it resists corrosion very well.
• It is used in aircraft and spacecraft, jet engines, missiles, ships, submarines and chemical plants.
• It is biocompatible (accepted by the human body), so it is used in hip and knee replacements, dental implants and surgical instruments.
• It is also used in sports equipment, watches and jewellery.

Extraction:

Titanium metal is usually produced by the Kroll process, in which titanium tetrachloride is reduced with magnesium to form titanium sponge. This is expensive, which makes titanium costly.

World facts:

Major producers of titanium minerals include China, Mozambique, South Africa and Australia.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Zirconium is obtained mainly from zircon, also found in beach sands; it is used in nuclear reactors and ceramics.
• ✗Tin is obtained mainly from cassiterite.
• ✗Tungsten is obtained mainly from wolframite and scheelite; it has the highest melting point of all metals and is used in bulb filaments and cutting tools.