Ilmenite (Iron Titanium Oxide, ) is the principal source of titanium (), which is used extensively as a white pigment in paints, plastics, and paper. It is a major component of mineral sands deposits worldwide.
Ilmenite is typically mined from heavy mineral sand deposits using gravity separation. Because it is weakly magnetic, it is further refined from non-magnetic minerals (like Zircon) using high-intensity magnetic separators. In some cases, it can be upgraded to "synthetic rutile" or titanium slag to increase its titanium content.
As a part of the NORM suite in mineral sands, ilmenite often contains low levels of radionuclides from the Uranium Decay Series and Thorium Decay Chain. While its radioactivity is generally lower than that of Monazite mining/monazite, the large volumes processed in industrial operations mean that radiological monitoring and dust control are still necessary to ensure worker safety.