Apollo astronauts found ilmenite-rich basalts at multiple locations on the Moon. Most of these basalts were extremely old, forming at least 3 billion years ago. These rocks often contained over 10% titanium dioxide (TiO2). Minerals present in these rocks were mostly feldspars and pyroxenes, with ilmenite next in abundance. Some samples of lunar regolith contained significant amounts of ilmenite. It…

Ilmenite is the primary ore of titanium metal. Small amounts of titanium combined with certain metals will produce durable, high-strength, lightweight alloys. These alloys are used to manufacture a wide variety high-performance parts and tools. Examples include: aircraft parts, artificial joints for humans, and sporting equipment such as bicycle frames. About 5% of the ilmenite…

Ilmenite is a black mineral with a submetallic to metallic luster. With just a glance it can easily be confused with hematite and magnetite. The differentiation is easy. Hematite has a red streak, while ilmenite has a black streak. Magnetite is strongly magnetic, while ilmenite is not magnetic. Occasionally ilmenite is weakly magnetic, possibly from small amounts of included magnetite.…

Ilmenite’s ideal chemical composition is FeTiO3. However, it often departs from that composition by containing variable amounts of magnesium or manganese. These elements substitute for iron in complete solid solution. A solid solution series exists between ilmenite (FeTiO3) and geikielite (MgTiO3). In this series, variable amounts of magnesium substitutes for iron in the mineral’s crystal…

Most ilmenite forms during the slow cooling of magma chambers and is concentrated through the process of magmatic segregation. A large underground magma chamber can take centuries to cool. As it cools, crystals of ilmenite will begin forming at a specific temperature. These crystals are heavier than the surrounding melt and sink to the bottom of the…

Ilmenite is a common accessory mineral in igneous rocks, sediments, and sedimentary rocks in many parts of the world. Apollo astronauts found abundant ilmenite in lunar rocks and the lunar regolith. Ilmenite is a black iron-titanium oxide with a chemical composition of FeTiO3. Ilmenite is the primary ore of titanium, a metal needed to make a variety of high-performance alloys. Most of the ilmenite…