Ilmenite (FeTiO3) is a weakly magnetic iron-black or steel-gray mineral found in metamorphic and plutonic igneous rocks. Most of the ilmenite mined is, however, recovered from secondary sources such as beach sands. It composed of an iron titanium oxide in crystalline form. The majority of the ilmenite mined is used as a raw material for pigment production. The product here is titanium dioxide, which is an extremely white substance used as a base in high quality paint. It is commonly massive, but also occurs in rhombohedral crystals. In the beach sands it is normally found as rounded particles with a diameter of betweem 0.1 and 0.2 mm.
See also
