Titanium Sulfate Solutions

Abstract

Measurements of refractive index, dispersion, and viscosity were made on titanium sulfate solutions of acidities (ratios of sulfur trioxide to titanium dioxide) ranging from 1.001 to 3.004 and concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 26 per cent titanium dioxide. No definite break was found in the curves which might indicate complex or compound formation at any definite concentration or composition, but the viscosity measurements did produce evidence of complex formation.Refractivities were found to be additive. The course of a hydrolysis by boiling was followed by refractive index measurements and by analyses, and commercial use of refractive index in conjunction with density is suggested.

Hydrolysis of Titanyl Sulfate Solutions.

“…Hixson and Stetkewicz (6) attacked the problem by measuring refractive index, dispersion, density, and viscosity of a large number of titanium sulfate solutions in which the molar ratio of sulfur trioxide to titanium oxide varied from 1.001 to 3.004, and the per cent titanium oxide from 0.5 to 26%. The data were then plotted against titanium oxide concentration in the hope that irregularities in the curve might be correlated with the peculiarities in the precipitation curves.…”

“…The precipitation curves of Hixson and Plechner were of three types: (a) normal curves characterized by a low initial rate of precipitation and high yield of titanium oxide; (6) abnormal curves characterized by a high initial rate of precipitation, followed by an apparent reversal of the precipitation reaction with a low final yield of titanium oxide; and (c) strong acid type curves in which mixtures of titanium oxide and titanyl sulfate were precipitated on boiling. The present discussion will be limited to the first two.…”

“…Their normal curves proved to be characteristic of solutions in which the acid concentration was higher than 1.5 molar. BASICALLY the manufacture of titanium oxide pigments consists of the following steps: (a) solution of the titanium ore in acid, (6) precipitation of the titanium oxide by heating the above solution under conditions favorable to the hydrolysis of the dissolved titanium, and (c) calcination of the precipitated oxide whereby pigment qualities are developed. This paper is concerned with the results of a fundamental study of the second step, the hydrolysis of titanium sulfate solutions.…”