Abstract
Technological developments in processing Australian mineral sand deposits
Highlights
Australia is a major world producer of titanium and zirconium minerals from mineral sand deposits
Commercial concentrations of titanium and zirconium minerals are found around the world in hard rock deposits, or in placer deposits resulting from the weathering of a hard rock deposit and the concentration of the heavy minerals by wave action on modern or ancient beaches, or by deposition in fluvial systems
Almost all Australian mineral sand deposits are placer deposits, but alluvial mineral sands occur in many places, commercial concentrations are found in only a small number of locations
Summary
Affiliation: 1CSIRO Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Australia. Dates: Received: 15 Aug. 2019 Revised: 21 Nov. 2019 Accepted: 29 Nov. 2019 Published: February 2020. Almost all Australian mineral sand deposits are placer deposits, with the major commercial deposits located in four provinces along the east, west, and south coasts and in ancient basins in the southeast of the country. The development of new technology for mineral separation and its adaption to changes in the mineralogy of the deposits are discussed. A summary is given of novel processing conditions developed to lower the levels of impurity elements (in particular manganese and radionuclides) in the heavy minerals, and to remove gangue minerals to obtain the maximum value from the deposits. The extensive, but still undeveloped, fine-grained Murray Basin deposits will require unique flotation conditions and roasting processes to produce marketable heavy mineral concentrates. How to cite: Pownceby, M.I., Bruckard, W.J., and Sparrow, G.J. Technological developments in processing Australian mineral sand deposits. This paper was first presented at The Eleventh International Heavy Minerals Conference, 5–6 August 2019, The Vineyard, Cape Town, South Africa
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