Mining Matters WA

The earth’s surface is made up of compounds which are extracted for commercial gain. Iron ore is the most important for producing building materials. Not all iron ore is created equal. The grade of iron is determined by the Fe content in the ore. Profitable elements of the ore are then separated through physical techniques. Ores with greater than 60% are considered ‘natural ores’ and can go straight into the blast furnace. It is also called ‘direct shipping ore’ and is ready for export. For ore that has a less than 60% Fe content, it is considered low grade and can’t be used for the production of iron and steel. It needs to be upgraded to reduce its gangue content and increase its Fe content. The process of improving the value of ore by removing certain minerals is called beneficiation. With over a billion tonnes of steel required worldwide in 2016, the beneficiation process is needed to keep up with demand. Beneficiation technology is improving all the time to maximise the value ...

The effectiveness or otherwise of your onsite rotating process equipment will have an impact on your mine’s overall operations. The right equipment can increase the tonnes per hour output which leads to a better return on investment (ROI) for your equipment capital outlay. The following are the steps you should take to gain the best results from your rotating process equipment. Designed and Built by Specialists Acquiring an ‘off the shelf’ product is unlikely to deliver you the best output result. A specialist who can analyse the properties of the material such as the type and size being fed into a scrubber and trommel will ensure the right screen is used. Robust and efficient for lower power draw All rotating process equipment has heavy electricity requirements. The right design and materials used in the equipment can ensure the design is right for the lowest possible draw on electricity ensuring running costs are kept to a minimum. Testing Rotating mining equipment is...

China and India’s burgeoning middle class has changed the way the two nations consume goods. With 1.3 billion people in China alone even a small change in purchase decisions can impact the demand and prices of mineral sands output needed to manufacture these goods. One change in consumer demand was for more Western-style porcelain toilets five years ago. The quantity of toilets required saw the demand for the whitening agent zircon increase to the point that a previously closed Australian zircon mine swung into production. The prime locations for zircon include the Murray basin which extends from the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia to Mildura in Victoria. South Australian miner Murray Zircon reopened its mine at Mindarie, about 150 kilometres east of Adelaide. Mindarie is a joint venture with a Chinese company that requires a quantity of zircon for use in China and for selling off to overseas markets. Often demand causes a spike in mineral prices for a short time then...

Australia holds the third largest resource of rare earth in the world and is the fifth largest producer. Deposits are located in most states of Australia. The two main types of mineral sands are titanium dioxide minerals and zircon. Western Australia is a prominent producer of mineral sands including titanium and non-titanium minerals. Titanium dioxide is used in manufacturing paints, plastics and coatings, cosmetics, fibres and pharmaceuticals. Zircon is predominantly used as a whitening agent for ceramic products such as tiles and toilets. Output of Mineral Sands The revenue per year from mineral sands mining is an estimated $3 billion. Pricing movement and changing demand for the product impacts on output. With time, the premium reserves become depleted and so the industry is forced to mine lower grade mineral sands at a higher cost. Rehabilitation of Australia’s Sites Australia ensures its mineral sands sites are rehabilitated after mining. Seeds of native plants are...

To process precious and base metals, gravel, minerals and sand, most sites will need a scrubber and trommel. When the mineral sand is trapped inside balls due to a high clay content, the material is passed through a rotating screen known as a scrubber. As the scrubber rotates, it breaks up alluvial, clay and sand. A trommel is used to separate the materials. Elevated at an angle a cylindrical drum has the material fed in one end. The under-sized material passes through the screen while the oversized material exits the drum at the other end. A vibrating screen does a similar job to the trommel, however, is not as robust and won’t last as long when working under stress. The vibrating screen can evaluate more material at one time than the trommel. The Right Specs Selecting the right scrubber for your project needs to take into account some considerations. By informing your supplier of the following information, you can ensure that you will receive the ideal scrubber for the job. N...

Mineral sands are important in the manufacture of industrial and chemicals applications. Australia is one of the world’s largest producers of mineral sands. But what exactly are they and how did mother nature create them all those years ago? Formation of mineral sands Most mineral sands began life as crystals in igneous or metamorphic rocks. Over time the rocks weathered and eroded the grains of quartz and minerals like rutile zircon, ilmenite and monazite were washed into the ocean by rainfall and streams. The minerals were carried on to the beach by the wave action. The wind blew away the lighter quartz sand leaving large deposits of mineral sands on the beach. As sea levels changed, shorelines move further inland sometimes many kilometres from what is now the shore. More sand has covered mineral sands deposits, so some have been found 50 metres below the surface. Belts of heavy minerals are called strand lines. It is thought that the mineral sands being mined today are ove...

There is some confusion around what is classified as a mineral sand and what is considered a rare earth. Australia has an abundance of both however rare earths is hard to produce and much of the mineral sands reserves are located in national parks and other environmentally sensitive areas not gazetted for mining. What are mineral sands? Mineral sands contain concentrations of the important minerals, rutile, ilmenite, zircon and monazite. In Australia, the three main minerals mined from mineral sands deposits are ilmenite, rutile and zircon. Zircon is used in industrial and chemical applications including the manufacture of ceramics and refractories. Titanium is also used for industry and chemicals but also for making titanium dioxide pigments. Australia is the largest producer of titanium, rutile and zirconium in the world. Production rates of the minerals depend largely on the increase and decrease of demand often linked to global recession and prosperity. What are rare ...