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Mineralogy, Chemical Characteristics and Upgrading of Beach Ilmenite of the Top Meter of Black Sand Deposits of the Kafr Al‐Sheikh Governorate, Northern Egypt
Author(s) -
ABDELKARIM AbdelAal M.,
MOUSTAFA Mohamed I.,
ElAFANDY Adel H.,
BARAKAT Mohamed G.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/1755-6724.13364
Subject(s) - ilmenite , hematite , rutile , mineralogy , homogeneous , geology , geochemistry , leaching (pedology) , monazite , chemistry , zircon , soil water , paleontology , physics , soil science , thermodynamics
Egyptian beach ilmenite occurs in a relatively high content in the naturally highly concentrated superficial black sand deposits at specific beach zones in the northern parts of the Nile Delta at Rosetta. Microscopic study shows that the ilmenite occurs as fresh homogeneous black or heterogeneous multicoloured altered grains and exhibits three types (homogeneous, exsolved and altered) of ilmenite varieties. XRD data of ilmenite indicates their association with minor hematite and quartz, whereas leucoxene shows its association with Nb‐rutile, pseudorutile and hematite. Grain size distribution suggests a very fine sand size of >89% and 80% and a fine sand size of 10.5% and 18.3% for fresh and altered ilmenites, respectively. The density of fresh, altered ilmenite and leucoxene concentrates varies from 2.70, 2.50 to 2.40 ton/m 3 , suggesting a gradual decrease from high grade fresh to leucoxene and consistent with variation in magnetic susceptibility as a consequence of the leaching of iron. Mass magnetic susceptibility reveals 97.6% of ilmenite and 92% of the altered form are obtained at 0.20 and 0.48 ampere. Fresh ilmenite exhibits variable TiO 2 (47.18%) and Fe 2 O 3 T (46.10%) with minor MnO, MgO and Cr 2 O 3 (1.22, 1.10 and 0.51%). The altered ilmenite is higher in TiO 2 (76.16%) and SiO 2 (4.68%) and lower in Fe 2 O 3 T (14.45%), MnO, MgO and Cr 2 O 3 (0.39, 0.52 and 0.11%) compared with the fresh form. Three concentrates of ilmenites (G1, G2 and G3) were prepared from crude ore using a Reading cross belt magnetic separator under different conditions, revealing a gradual increase of TiO 2 , SiO 2 , Al 2 O 3 and CaO accompanied by a decrease of Fe 2 O 3 T , MgO and Cr 2 O 3 with repetition of the separation processes. Several ore dressing techniques were carried out to upgrade the ilmenite concentrate.