Ball milling induced low-temperature carbothermic reduction of ilmenite

A mixture of ilmenite (FeTiO 3 ) and activated carbon was ball milled at room temperature for 400 h. The milled ilmenite was readily reduced to rutile during a subsequent low temperature annealing process (760°C/30 min). Thermogravimetric and X-ray analyses showed that the ball milling treatment gives rise to a lower temperature and higher reaction rate for the carbothermic reduction of ilmenite and presumedly results from the intimately mixing of ilmenite and carbon powders produced by ball milling.