Titanium Ores and Concentrates

Titanium mineral feedstocks — principally ilmenite, ilmenite sand, and synthetic rutile — serve as the raw material base for titanium dioxide pigment production and, to a lesser extent, titanium metal sponge. The US schedule subdivides this heading into synthetic rutile (2614003000), ilmenite and ilmenite sand (2614006020), and other titanium ores and concentrates (2614006040), reflecting meaningful differences in TiO₂ content and downstream processing requirements. Madagascar, South Africa, and Mozambique are the primary foreign sources, supplying heavy-mineral-sand concentrates from coastal placer deposits. Classifying synthetic rutile correctly is important because it is an upgraded, beneficiated product distinct from natural mineral forms.