Mineral sands prices are rising and ilmenite is the hot new kid on the block Mining share The mineral sands industry is booming right now. The rebound in the titanium feedstock market since late 2020 has continued and with the closure of Rio Tinto’s (ASX:RIO)Richards Bay mine in South Africa and the impending suspension of Iluka’s (ASX:ILU) Sierra Rutile mine in November (pending any potential return to profitability) the supply side is looking tight. Iluka said in its June quarterly that the potential suspension plus violence at a major feedstock producer in South Africa has created additional concern around future supply of feedstocks heading into the second half and beyond.