Sand Ore Research Articles

Unification of particle size analysis results, part 1 − comparison of particle size distribution functions obtained by various measurement methods

This article concerns comparing the grain size distribution functions of mineral powder samples and analyzes errors obtained by various measurement methods. The research used three standard and currently most frequently used methods: sieve analysis, laser diffraction analysis and vision analysis. The most important research, from the point of view of unification of results, consisted in performing precise analyses of the grain size of mineral powders (fly ash, gneiss, quartz sand and Cu ore) in various grain classes. The measurement techniques used in the research and issues related to measurement analytics were characterized. The distribution functions of the grain size distributions of the tested material samples were obtained by different measurement methods and the measurement errors were compared. Using the coefficient of variation CV calculated for characteristic particle diameters, the accuracy of measurements made using various methods was analyzed. It has been shown that different particle size measurement techniques give significantly different particle size distributions for the same material, with the grain size distribution of the measured samples having a greater impact on the results than the material itself. The lowest values of the coefficients of variation were obtained for wet sieve analysis and the highest for laser diffraction. Reliable data informing about grain size distributions were generated for further model calculations necessary to standardize the results between measurement methods.

Molecular insights into oil detachment from hydrophobic quartz surfaces in clay-hosted nanopores during steam–surfactant co-injection

Thermal recovery techniques for producing oil sands have substantial environmental impacts. Surfactants can efficiently improve thermal bitumen recovery and reduce the required amount of steam. Such a technique requires solid knowledge about the interaction mechanism between surfactants, bitumen, water, and rock at the nanoscale level. In particular, oil sands ores have extremely complex mineralogy as they contain many clay minerals (montmorillonite, illite, kaolinite). In this study, molecular dynamics simulation is carried out to elucidate the unclear mechanisms of clay minerals contributing to the bitumen recovery under a steam–anionic surfactant co-injection process. We found that the clay content significantly influenced an oil detachment process from hydrophobic quartz surfaces. Results reveal that the presence of montmorillonite, illite, and the siloxane surface of kaolinite in nanopores can enhance the oil detachment process from the hydrophobic surfaces because surfactant molecules have a stronger tendency to interact with bitumen and quartz. Conversely, the gibbsite surfaces of kaolinite curb the oil detachment process. Through interaction energy analysis, the siloxane surfaces of kaolinite result in the most straightforward oil detachment process. In addition, we found that the clay type presented in nanopores affected the wettability of the quartz surfaces. The quartz surfaces associated with the gibbsite surfaces of kaolinite show the strongest hydrophilicity. By comparing previous experimental findings with the results of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, we observed consistent wetting characteristics. This alignment serves to validate the reliability of the simulation outcomes. The outcome of this paper makes up for the lack of knowledge of a surfactant-assisted bitumen recovery process and provides insights for further in-situ bitumen production engineering designs.

Performance of Ore Sand as Aggregate for Interlocking Blocks

The search for alternatives that can replace conventional materials extracted from nature is crucial for environmental sustainability. This is especially the case for construction and geotechnical engineering, as this sector is a major consumer of the planet’s natural resources. This paper explores the use of ore sand (OS) tailings with fine aggregate characteristics, which are generated during exploration of iron ore and usually stored in stacks, in terms of their potential for replacing conventional aggregates (gravel, natural sand, and limestone sand) used in interlocking paving blocks for light-traffic pavement. A comparative life cycle assessment (LCA, cradle-to-gate) approach was applied for aggregates in interlocking blocks produced using OS compared to blocks produced with conventional aggregates. The OS was able to replace 24wt% of conventional aggregates (100% limestone sand and 13.3% natural sand), while maintaining compressive-strength performance similar to that of the conventional block (35 MPa). For all eleven environmental-impact categories evaluated in the LCA, the block with OS has improved environmental performance compared to the conventional block. Through the creation and use of a scoring indicator (SI), it was possible to determine that the transport distance of the OS is a limiting factor for the environmental efficiency of the alternative block. Nonetheless, the incorporation of OS mitigates the impacts of block production on eutrophication, acidification, fresh water, human toxicity, and abiotic depletion. The use of tailings reduces the demand for natural resources, decreasing the environmental impact of production and promoting sustainable construction practices.

Effect of ore quality on non‐aqueous oil sand extraction performance

AbstractCurrent commercial aqueous based extraction processes are energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) intensive and require large tailings ponds. Non‐aqueous extraction (NAE) of bitumen from mineable oil sands is an alternative that eliminates tailings ponds with potentially lower energy requirements and GHG emissions. The economics of the NAE process depend partly on the impact of ore quality on bitumen recovery and product quality (low water and solids content). It has been claimed that NAE performance is insensitive to the quality (bitumen content) of the oil sand ores. However, the available data are ambiguous because different extraction methods and solvents were used in different studies and, in many cases, a limited range of ore qualities was examined. In this study, bitumen was extracted from eight ores of different quality with cyclohexane using a multistage method equivalent to a countercurrent process with a solvent/ore ratio of 0.67 w/w. The bitumen recovery and the water and solids content of the product bitumen were determined for each ore. It was found that bitumen recovery correlated negatively to clay content of the ore. The loss of recovery was attributed to bitumen adsorption on clays. The product quality was insensitive to the ore quality and instead depended on the density of the fluid medium, as expected with a centrifuge‐based separation method. The recovery and product quality from the NAE method were similar to those from aqueous extractions.

Coupling Effect of Expansion Agent and Internal Curing Aggregate on Shrinkage of High-Modulus Ultra-High-Performance Concrete

In the realm of bridge structural engineering, it is customary to meticulously contemplate the material’s strength and rigidity attributes during the dimensioning phase. In recent years, there has been a burgeoning interest in employing Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete (abbreviated as UHPC) for the construction of bridge decks and wet joints. However, the large self-shrinkage of UHPC can easily lead to shrinkage cracking and affect its service life. This study delves into the utilization of a blend of basalt coarse aggregate and high-modulus aggregate (HMA) in the formulation of Ultrahigh-Performance Concrete (UHPC) with the objectives of achieving exceptional strength (>180 MPa), superior modulus of elasticity (>56 GPa), and synergistic effect of using prewetted internal curing aggregate (ICA), metallurgical ore sand (MOS), and calcium–magnesium composite-based expansion agent (EA) to reduce the shrinkage of UHPC. Furthermore, the mechanical properties, shrinkage, hydration process, and microstructure of UHPC prepared with EA and ICA were studied. The results show that UHPC prepared with both 3% EA and 20% ICA had the optimal volume stability (the shrinkage was only 273 με at 180 d). In contrast, the 180 d shrinkage of UHPC with 3% EA and 20% ICA separately was 287 με and 373 με, respectively. In addition, the incorporation of EA and ICA can effectively improve the flexural strength of UHPC, although it affects the compressive strength and modulus of elasticity of UHPC (small decrease).

Assessment of radiation hazard indices due to naturally occurring long-life radionuclides in the coastal area of Barra de Valizas, Uruguay.

The Uruguayan east coast has several mineral resources, which include black sand ores in the Barra de Valizas-Aguas Dulces area. Cancer in Uruguay shows non-homogeneous geographical distribution, with the highest standardized mortality ratio (SMR) in the northeast and east region, which includes the aforementioned area and the town of Barra de Valizas. The activity concentration of natural radionuclides (226Ra, 232Th and 40K) in Barra de Valizas´soil was determined by gamma spectrometry in order to evaluate the radiological hazard for inhabitants and tourists. The outdoor annual effective dose (AEDE), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR), and annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE) were evaluated for inhabitants with a life expectancy of 77.7years, a 0.2 and 0.5 occupancy factor, and using the conversion coefficients recommended by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR). The annual effective dose was also evaluated for both summer and fortnight tourists. The radiological hazard indices for Barra de Valizas inhabitants are higher than the worldwide mean and recommended values. This may contribute to Rocha's higher SRM value, although a direct correlation cannot be assured with the epidemiological information currently available. Social, medical and anthropological studies will be carried out in future to provide data and verify this correlation.

Site-specific spatiotemporal occurrence and molecular congener distributions of naphthenic acids in Athabasca oil sands wetlands of Alberta, Canada

The Athabasca oil sands region (AOSR) of Alberta, Canada is notable for its considerable unconventional petroleum extraction projects, where bitumen is extracted from naturally-occurring oil sands ore. The large scale of these heavy crude oil developments raises concerns because of their potential to distribute and/or otherwise influence the occurrence, behaviour, and fate of environmental contaminants. Naphthenic acids (NAs) are one such contaminant class of concern in the AOSR, so studies have examined the occurrence and molecular profiles of NAs in the region. We catalogued the spatiotemporal occurrence and characteristics of NAs in boreal wetlands in the AOSR over a 7-year period, using derivatized liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Comparing median concentrations of NAs across these wetlands revealed a pattern of NAs suggesting NAs in surface waters derived from oil sands deposits. Opportunistic wetlands that formed adjacent to reclaimed overburden and other reclamation activities had the highest concentrations of NAs and consistent patterns suggestive of bitumen-derived inputs. However, similar patterns in the occurrence of NAs were also observed in undeveloped natural wetlands located above the known surface-mineable oil sands deposit that underlies the region. Intra-annual sampling results along with inter-annual comparisons across wetlands demonstrated that differences in the spatial and temporal NA concentrations were dependent on local factors, particularly when naturally occurring oil sands ores were observed in the wetland or drainage catchment.

The effect of clay minerals on in-situ leaching of uranium

In recent years, with the development of techniques and methods for in-situ leaching (ISL), additional uranium extraction from previously worked-out blocks is becoming not only relevant, but also quite achievable. In this case, the extraction of residual uranium reserves from previously worked-out blocks does not require additional costs for the necessary infrastructure. One of the most important factors in the formation of residual uranium reserves in worked-out blocks is the presence of clay minerals in the ore horizon. In this regard, we conducted a number of studies on the adverse and positive effects of clay minerals on ISL process. Water permeability and relatively good filtration (not less than 0.5–1 m/day) of ores and rocks of a productive horizon (aquifer) is the most important hydrogeological factors affecting the performance of uranium ISL. The second most important hydrogeological factor is the lack of fluid communication between the productive aquifer and nonproductive aquifers, i.e., the obligatory presence of aquicludes. The role of clays in these hydrogeological factors is twofold. On the one hand, the presence of clays negatively affects both the solutions filtration rate and uranium extraction. On the other hand, the presence of clay minerals (forming an aquiclude) enhances the effect of ISL. The study findings allowed the role of clay minerals in uranium ISL to be assessed. The diffusion coefficients of nitrate ions in the clays were determined, and the protective effect of aquicludes was calculated. The effect of the clay content in the ore sand horizon on the solutions filtration coefficients was also established. The static uranium exchange capacity of clays was determined by studying the process of uranium sorption by clay samples from sulfate and bicarbonate solutions. The studies established the diffusion coefficients of nitrate ions in montmorillonite and kaolinite clays, which amounted to 3.34 10−6 and 2.14 · 10−6 cm2/s. Taking into account the calculated values of diffusion coefficients, the protective time of the clayey aquiclude for nitrate ions was 43 years. At 20 % clay minerals content, the solution filtration coefficient decreases to values where ISL conditions become unfavorable. It was found experimentally that the sorption of uranium by clay minerals depends on both the nature of the clays and the composition of the solution. Uranium sorption from sulfate solutions proceeds noticeably better than that from bicarbonate solutions. The highest values of the static uranium exchange capacity were obtained for bentonite (104 mg/g).

Computational fluid dynamics investigation of bitumen residues in oil sands tailings transport in an industrial horizontal pipe

Pipeline transport is commonly used in the oil sand industry to convey crushed oil sand ores and tailings. Bitumen residues in the oil sand tailings can be a threat to the environment that separating them from tailings before disposal is crucial. However, low bitumen concentration in the tailing slurry and the complex transport characteristics of the four-phase mixture make the process difficult. This study establishes an Eulerian–Eulerian (E–E) computational fluid dynamics model for an industrial-scale oil sand tailings pipeline. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis was conducted on the selection of carrier-solid and solid-bitumen drag models. The combination of small and large particle sizes (i.e., 75 and 700 μm) and bitumen droplet size (i.e., 400 μm) provided good agreement with field data in velocity profiles and pressure drop. The validated model was subsequently extended to investigate the influence of the secondary phase (i.e., bitumen droplets and bubbles) on flow characteristics in a tailing pipeline. The investigation covered a range of bitumen droplet size (100–400 μm), bitumen fraction (0.0025–0.1), bubble size (5–1000 μm), and bubble fraction (0.0025–0.3) and their influences on the velocity, solids, and bitumen distribution are revealed. For an optimum bubble size of 500 μm, a maximum recovery of 59% from the top 50% and 83% from the top 75% of the pipe cross section was obtained. The present study demonstrates the preferential distribution of bitumen and provides valuable insight into bitumen recovery from an industrial-scale tailing pipeline.

ORE-BEARING OF THE LIVOBEREZHNY ZIRCON-RUTILE-ILMENITE PLACER DISTRICT

The relevance of the presented publication is due to the need to highlight the current state of zirconium-titanium specialization objects, the need to modernize and unify geological information, due to the significant increase in the world community’s interest in minerals that belong to the group of critical raw materials. The article presents generalized data on the ore-bearing zircon-rutile-ilmenite deposits of the Livoberezhniy placer district of the Ukrainian placer province. This area has unique paragenetic characteristics, as it is located in the junction zone of three geostructural units: the Dnipro-Donetsk depression, the northeastern slope of the Ukrainian crystalline shield, and the Kalmius-Toretsk depression of Donbas. The Livoberezhniy placer district includes the Vovchansk, Voskresenivsk, Southern, Nova-Mykolaivka, North-Samarsk, Yuriivsk and Petropavlivsk zircon-rutile-ilmenite deposits. These deposits are located in the sediments of the Bereka and Novi Petrivtsi suites. The Petropavlivsk and Yuriivsk deposits have a two-layer structure, the rest is belongs to the deposits of the only Novi Petrivtsi suite. The genesis of deposits is buried coastal-marine placers. All deposits have a slight dip of the ore sand layers in a north-east direction, which outlines the general slope of the water basin floor. Today, the Vovchansk zircon-ilmenite-rutile deposit is being developed by DEMURINSKY GZK LLC. On the basis of the results of geological prospecting and geological exploration conducted in the 60s and 70s of the last century, maps of the strength of the ore stratum and the distribution of ore components (ilmenite, rutile, zircon) were constructed. The visualization data was built for the Voskresenivsk, Southern, Nova-Mykolaivka, North-Samarsk, Yuriivsk and Petropavlivsk deposits. An analysis of the obtained data was carried out and a number of conclusions were drawn regarding the distribution of ore components for each of the deposits.

The effect of clay type and solid wettability on bitumen extraction from Canadian oil sands

Clays (<2 μm) in oil sands ores have a significant impact on the processability of the ores. The present study aims at understanding the effects of the type and wettability of clays on the performance of bitumen extraction from mined oil sands. The results from batch extraction tests showed a detrimental effect of doping with hydrophilic clays (kaolinite, illite and montmorillonite), with montmorillonite being the worst. The crucial role of clays in bitumen slime-coating was studied through atomic force microscopy and clay deposition tests. For the hydrophilic clays, clay concentration was an essential parameter in determining the bitumen-clay hetero-coagulation process. Strong slime-coating of clay particles on bitumen droplets occurred only above a critical clay concentration. This critical concentration varied with clay type and water chemistry. Compared with earlier studies, kaolinite was found to deposit strongly on bitumen surfaces for the first time in this study. Hydrophilic clays were contaminated by soaking in toluene-diluted-bitumen solutions to investigate the effect of solid hydrophobicity on bitumen extraction. Hydrophobic clays had a less significant depression on bitumen recovery but a more significant deterioration on froth quality than hydrophilic clays. Similar slime-coating was observed for the different clays once contaminated by diluted bitumen. Furthermore, the presence of a large content of clays in bitumen extraction could result in excessive emulsification of bitumen into small droplets, leading to low bitumen recovery. This work provides useful insights into the fundamental interactions of clays and bitumen, with implications for developing a viable solution in dealing with clays in oil sands operations.

Simultaneous in-situ tar abatement and H2-enriched syngas production via heterogeneous doping of LaFeO3 during chemical looping gasification of microalgae

Chemical looping gasification (CLG) is an emerging environment-friendly technology for efficient and clean utilization of biomass, in which oxygen carrier (OC) is one of the key issues concerning the overall performance. As a rising-star material, perovskite with a tunable crystal structure shows great potential in syngas enrichment and tar decomposition during the CLG of biomass. In this study, the newly-developed LaNi0.5Fe0.5O3 (LN5F5) and La0.3Ba0.7FeO3 (L3B7F) perovskites through heterogeneous doping of LaFeO3 (LF) were evaluated as oxygen carriers with the purpose of simultaneous tar abatement and H2-enriched syngas production from microalgae. Silica sand (SS) and iron ore (IO) were used for comparison. Results showed that the CLG performance order of several materials was L3B7F > LN5F5 > LF > IO > SS at an oxygen carrier to biomass ratio (O/B) of 0.4, water injection rate of 0.3 mL/min and gasification temperature of 800 °C. The heterogeneous doping obviously improved the cyclic stability of perovskite during redox tests. In addition, possible tar conversion routes over L3B7F oxygen carrier were proposed. Results implied that heavy PAHs (4 rings or more) were first converted to light PAHs (1–3 rings) and n-hydrocarbon, which were finally transformed into micromolecular gases. The outstanding performance of L3B7F in microalgae CLG can be ascribed to the formation of oxygen vacancies and high-valence Fe4+ stimulated by the introduction of Ba2+, which were demonstrated by the XRD, H2-TPR and XPS results. These results evidence that the heterogeneous doped L3B7F is a good alternative for improving biomass availability in the CLG process.

Study on the High-Temperature Sintering Characteristics and Sintering Mechanism of Sea Sand Vanadium Titanomagnetite Based on Micro-sintering

The sea sand vanadium titanomagnetite has the problems of coarse particles, difficult agglomeration, and poor sintering performance. It is difficult for iron and steel enterprises to use it as an ironmaking raw material in large quantities. In this work, different methods were adopted to optimize the high-temperature sintering characteristics of sea sand vanadium titanomagnetite to increase the usage of sea sand ore. Based on the characterization and analysis of the basic physical and chemical properties of sea sand ore, the effects of adding limestone, ludwigite, and fine powder on the high-temperature sintering characteristics of sea sand ore were discussed. The proportion of sea sand ore was varied and its effect on the high-temperature sintering characteristics was studied. The phase composition and microstructure of sintered blocks with sea sand ore were analyzed by XRD and SEM–EDS, and the high-temperature sintering mechanism was studied. The results show that the high-temperature sintering characteristics of sea sand ore can be optimized to a certain extent by adding limestone, ludwigite, and fine powder. It is suggested that 15–35 wt% of sea sand ore was appropriate. The experimental results provided some reference methods for iron and steel enterprises to improve the utilization rate of sea sand ore in the actual sintering process.

Enhancement of Uranium Recycling from Tailings Caused by the Microwave Irradiation-Induced Composite Oxidation of the Fe-Mn Binary System.

The extraction of uranium (U)-related minerals from raw ore sands via a leaching procedure would produce enormous amounts of tailings, not only causing radioactivity contamination to surroundings but also wasting the potential U utilization. Effective recycling of U from U tailings is propitious to the current issues in U mining industries. In this study, the influence of the composite oxidation of Fe(III) and Mn(VII) intensified by microwave (MW) irradiation on the acid leaching of U from tailings was comprehensively explored in sequential and coupling systems. The U leaching activities from the tailing specimens were explicitly enhanced by MW irradiation. The composite oxidation caused by Fe(III) and Mn(VII) further facilitated the leaching of U ions from the tailing under MW irradiation in two systems. Maximum leaching efficiencies of 84.61, 80.56, and 92.95% for U ions were achieved in the Fe(III)-, Mn(VII)-, and Fe(III)–Mn(VII)-participated coupling systems, respectively. The inappropriateness of the shrinking core model (SCM) demonstrated by the linear fittings and analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the two systems explained a reverse increase of solid cores in the later stage of leaching experiments. The internal migration of oxidant ions into the particle cores enhanced by MW accelerated the dissolution of Al, Fe, and Mn constituents under acidic conditions, which further strengthened U extraction from tailing specimens.

Iron ore or manganese ore filled constructed wetlands enhanced removal performance and changed removal process of nitrogen under sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim stress.

Iron ore and manganese ore were used as substrate of constructed wetlands (CWs) to enhance nitrogen (N) removal. However, the N purification performance in CWs filled with iron or manganese ore under antibiotics stress needs further study. In this study, three groups of CWs filled with river sand, limonite (a kind of iron ore), and manganese ore sand were constructed, which were named as C-CWs, Fe-CWs, and Mn-CWs, respectively. The effect and mechanism of the composite antibiotics sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and trimethoprim (TMP) on N removal in CWs were investigated. While the addition of SMX and TMP inhibited about 40% nitrification and promoted about 25% denitrification in all CWs, Fe-CWs and Mn-CWs always had better N removal performance than C-CWs. Changes in microbial community structure in CWs indicated that the better N removal performance in Fe-CWs and Mn-CWs was attributed to the presence of more abundant and diverse N-associated bacteria, especially Fe- and Mn-driven autotrophic denitrifying bacteria. What's more, the addition of iron ore or manganese ore contributed to the better N removal performance with highest relative abundance of N-transferring bacteria under antibiotics stress.

Understanding Various Cement Compositions and Its Application

Cement is a binder used in construction to bond, harden and glue Together with other ingredients. Cement is rarely solitary Used, instead of sand and gravel Used to bind together. But cement is not a naturally occurring organic substance - it is made by the chemical composition of 8 key ingredients during the cement manufacturing process. These materials are generally extracted from limestone, clay, marl, shale, limestone, sand, bauxite and iron ore. Cement is, in general, an adhesive of all kinds, but, in a narrow sense, the Binding material used in This type of cement for building and civil engineering construction is a finely ground powder when mixed with water, forming a hard mass. Cement is made from closely controlled chemical composition of calcium, silicon, aluminum, iron and other raw required things. Used to make cement Lime in common materials Shells and lime or marl, shale, clay, slate, blast furnace sludge, silica Includes sand and iron ore.

Size distribution of primary submicron particles and larger aggregates in solvent-induced asphaltene precipitation in a model oil system

Asphaltene precipitation is a crucial phase separation phenomenon in the oil industry, especially in paraffinic froth treatment to extract bitumen from oil sands ores. This work reveals the ubiquitous presence of particles at 0.2 to 0.4 μm in radius, defined as primary sub-micron particles (PSMPs) at early stage asphaltene precipitation from diffusive mixing with solvents. We observed PSMPs in a quasi-2D chamber where asphaltene solution (the model oil) is displaced by 3 paraffinic solvents, the blends of solvents, and solvents containing inhibitor at low concentrations. The yield and size distribution of asphaltene particles are affected not only by the Hildebrand solubility parameter of the precipitants but also by the diffusion coefficients of the asphaltene solution and the precipitant. Even though n-pentane is a stronger solvent than n-heptane, the yield of asphaltene in the diffusive mixing chamber is close because of the difference in the diffusion coefficient between n-pentane and n-heptane in asphaltene solution. The results of n-heptane and n-decane blends reveal that the increase of the ratio of PSMPs compared with pure n-heptane or n-decane. The inhibitors significantly decrease the aggregation rate of PSMPs, displayed as a higher ratio of PSMPs compared to a non-inhibitor group. The population balance model (PBM) with the Hildebrand solubility parameter has been used to model particle size distribution. Good agreement has been achieved between numerical predictions and the experimental data. It indicates that the colloid theory can describe the size distribution of PSMPs and larger aggregates in early stage of asphaltene precipitation. This study illustrates the importance of mixing dynamics on the size distribution in asphaltene precipitation. The findings can be useful for accurate modeling of the hydrocarbon separation or asphaltene precipitation.

Phosphorites and Glauconites as Additional Reserves in the Development of Titanium-Zirconium Sands of the Centralnoye Deposit (Tambov Region of Russia)

After the Soviet Union demise, Russia was plagued by severe titanium resource problems. The bulk of titanium concentrates is imported from Ukraine. But Russia has its own titanium resources not lesser than in leading countries of the world (China, Brazil, South Africa). Ores form both primary and alluvial deposits, including those located in economically developed regions. The better example is the ancient marine placer of the Centralnoye deposit in the Rasskazovsky district of the Tambov region. In addition to ilmenite, rutile and zircon, ore sands also include phosphates and glauconite. The deposit was discovered in the middle of the last century and, after geological prospecting, was classified as one of the ten largest world objects of placer titanium ores. Despite this, for many years the Centralnoye deposit remained abandoned, since by that time, in the Soviet Union in Ukraine, several mining plants were already operating, which satisfied the industry’s demand for titanium. Today Russia is in dire need of titanium raw materials and the question of the need to develop the deposit has been repeatedly raised. This topic is being discussed especially actively today since a decision has been made on the expediency of its development. However, in the modern market environment, the implementation of this decision is an extremely difficult task. Here, the factors that can reduce operating costs that can improve the economic performance of mining and processing of ore sands become important. These factors include mining and use of both phosphorites and glauconites contained in titanium-zirconium ores and in the “overburden” rocks. The article describes the technogenic waste (tailings) of titanium - zirconium ores. Their material, mineral and granulometric composition is considered, and the technological properties of phosphorites and glauconites are described in the article. On the basis of experimental data, it has been shown that the accumulated concentrates represent high-quality raw materials for the production of phosphate rock and effective phosphorus and potassium ameliorants.

ORE-BEARING OF SEDIMENTS OF THE NOVOPETRIVSKA SUITE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE MEDVINSKA AND STROKIVSKA AREAS

Brief information on the geological structure of the Medvynska and Strokivska areas is given, within which, in the deposits of the Novopetrivska suite of the Poltava series of the Neogene, placers of zirconium-titanium minerals are located. Placers contain large amounts of ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene, disten, rutile, and anatase, which are evenly scattered throughout the rock or grouped in layers enriched with them. The placers were formed under continental facies conditions and are localized in the sands of the middle subsoil of the Novopetrivska suite. Based on the coordinates and description of the wells, the topography of the sole and surface of the sands containing ore minerals, as well as the lateral thickness change of the ore sands, were investigated. It was established that there is a direct correlation between the relief of the sole and the roof of the sands of the Novopetrivska suite within the boundaries of the Medvynska and Strokivska areas. There is no correlation between the thickness of the sands and the relief of their sole and roof within the limits of the Medvynska area. An inverse correlation between these indicators was established within the Strokivska area. The coordinates and results of well testing became the basis for the study of the distribution of average contents of rutile, ilmenite and zircon along the lateral. It was found that for both areas, a clearly expressed direct correlation between the average contents of these minerals exists only partially, within the limits of local, small objects. Ilmenite and zircon are best correlated within the Medvynska area, whereas rutile and zircon are correlated within the Strokivska area. The analysis of the distribution of the contents of ilmenite, zircon, leucoxene, disten and rutile with anatase in the vertical section of the wells showed that in most cases there is a direct correlation between all the investigated ore minerals. In some places, the general correlation relationship is broken by one of the minerals, less often by several. For the most part, ore minerals form one well-defined hypsometric level of enrichment, sometimes two and, rarely, three.

A Study on the Metallurgical Characteristic of Hammer Scale Produced through Traditional Iron-making Experiments

This study attempted to investigate the metallurgical characteristic through material scientific analysis of hammer scale produced as a direct smelting method restoration experiment for each raw material of iron. To this end, four hammer scale groups were set up, respectively, by experimenting with Gyeongju-Gampo Iron sand and Yangyang Iron ore. For the analysis, principal component analysis, compound analysis, microstructure observation, and chemical composition were confirmed. As a result of principal component analysis, as forging and refining progressed, the content of Fe increased and the content of non-metallic objects decreased. As a result of compound analysis, iron oxide-based compounds were identified. As a result of confirming microstructure and chemical composition, Wüstite and Fayalite were observed overall, and agglomerated Wüstite were observed in some. Magnetite on shape of polygon and pillar was observed. In addition, it was confirmed that internal defects, impurities, and non-metallic interventions gradually decreased. In the future, it is necessary to investigate the metallurgical characteristic through material scientific analysis of hammer scale produced through restoration experiments using various raw material of iron, and compare them with those excavated from Iron manufacture ruins.