PROCESS TEST WORK FOR THE RECOVERY OF TANTALITE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Nassarawa Pegmatoids which intrude gneisses, schists and metabasites occur in the northeastern part of half – degree sheet 209. The study aims at elevating the knowledge of economic potentials of Ta – Nb mineralization in the area and enhancing the recovery and extraction percentage of the Ta – Nb concentrates ...

Enhancing market potentials, contract and trading of Nigerian solid minerals in world market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwa, Y. B.

1997-01-01

The mineral endowments of Nigeria is discussed. Most of these minerals are mined for their export potential and also to meet domestic industrial needs. Minerals mined for export include tin, columbite, tantalite, lead/zinc, coal, and iron. Minerals meet specified requirements to qualify for export or application in the industrial sector. For export, a number of issues relating to pricing, shipping, insurance, international laws and contractual agreements must be clearly articulated

Critical Defense Materials: Government Collected Data Are Sufficiently Reliable to Assess Tantalum Availability

Science.gov (United States)

2016-03-01

conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or an adjoining country. Pub. L. No. 111- 203 §1502( e )(4). Columbite-tantalite (coltan), cassiterite, and...departments—the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of State, and the Department of Commerce —to take certain actions to implement the...USGS and Department of Commerce , and performing analyses to determine if shortfalls for materials will occur during potential conflict scenarios

Radionuclides and radiation doses in heavy mineral sands and other mining operations in Mozambique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, F. P.; Matine, O. F.; Taimo, S.; Oliveira, J. M.; Silva, L.; Malta, M.

2014-01-01

Sites at the littoral of Mozambique with heavy mineral sands exploited for ilmenite, rutile and zircon and inland mineral deposits exploited for tantalite, uranium and bauxite were surveyed for ambient radiation doses, and samples were collected for the determination of radionuclide concentrations. In heavy mineral sands, 238 U and 232 Th concentrations were 70±2 and 308±9 Bq kg -1 dry weight (dw), respectively, whereas after separation of minerals, the concentrations in the ilmenite fraction were 2240±64 and 6125±485 Bq kg -1 (dw), respectively. Tantalite displayed the highest concentrations with 44 738±2474 Bq kg -1 of 238 U. Radiation exposure of workers in mining facilities is likely to occur at levels above the dose limit for members of the public (1 mSv y -1 ) and therefore radiation doses should be assessed as occupational exposures. Local populations living in these regions in general are not exposed to segregated minerals with high radionuclide concentrations. However, there is intensive traditional mining and a large number of artisan miners and their families may be exposed to radiation doses exceeding the dose limit. A radiation protection programme is therefore needed to ensure radiation protection of the public and workers of developing mining projects. (authors)

Radionuclides and radiation doses in heavy mineral sands and other mining operations in Mozambique.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Fernando P; Matine, Obete F; Taímo, Suzete; Oliveira, João M; Silva, Lídia; Malta, Margarida

2014-01-01

Sites at the littoral of Mozambique with heavy mineral sands exploited for ilmenite, rutile and zircon and inland mineral deposits exploited for tantalite, uranium and bauxite were surveyed for ambient radiation doses, and samples were collected for the determination of radionuclide concentrations. In heavy mineral sands, (238)U and (232)Th concentrations were 70±2 and 308±9 Bq kg(-1) dry weight (dw), respectively, whereas after separation of minerals, the concentrations in the ilmenite fraction were 2240±64 and 6125±485 Bq kg(-1) (dw), respectively. Tantalite displayed the highest concentrations with 44 738±2474 Bq kg(-1) of (238)U. Radiation exposure of workers in mining facilities is likely to occur at levels above the dose limit for members of the public (1 mSv y(-1)) and therefore radiation doses should be assessed as occupational exposures. Local populations living in these regions in general are not exposed to segregated minerals with high radionuclide concentrations. However, there is intensive artisanal mining and a large number of artisanal miners and their families may be exposed to radiation doses exceeding the dose limit. A radiation protection programme is therefore needed to ensure radiation protection of the public and workers of developing mining projects.

Discrete microfluidics based on aluminum nitride surface acoustic wave devices

OpenAIRE

Zhou, J.; Pang, H.F.; Garcia-Gancedo, L.; Iborra, E.; Clement, M.; De Miguel-Ramos, M.; Jin, H.; Luo, J.K.; Smith, S.; Dong, S.R.; Wang, D.M.; Fu, Y.Q.

2015-01-01

To date, most surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices have been made from bulk piezoelectric materials, such as quartz, lithium niobate or lithium tantalite. These bulk materials are brittle, less easily integrated with electronics for control and signal processing, and difficult to realize multiple wave modes or apply complex electrode designs. Using thin film SAWs makes it convenient to integrate microelectronics and multiple sensing or microfluidics techniques into a lab-on-a-chip with low cos...

Rare metal and rare earth pegmatites of Western India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maithani, P.B.; Nagar, R.K.

1999-01-01

Rajasthan Mica Belt in western India is one of the three major mica-producing Proterozoic pegmatite belts of India, the others being in Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. The pegmatites of these mica belts, in general, are associated with the rare metal (RM) and rare earth element (REE)-bearing minerals like columbite-tantalite, beryl, lepidolite and other multiple oxides. RM-REE pegmatites of Gujarat are devoid of commercially workable mica. These pegmatites are geologically characterised in this paper, based on their association with granite plutons geochemistry, and RM and REE potential. In addition to RM and RE-bearing pegmatites, granites of the Umedpur area, Gujarat also show anomalous concentration (0.97 wt%) of rare metals (6431 ppm Nb, 1266 ppm Ta, 454 ppm Sn, 173 ppm W), (1098 ppm Ce 1.36% Y 2 O 3 ) rare earths, and uranium (0.40% eU 3 O 8 ). Eluvial concentrations in the soil and panned concentrate (0.04-0.28 wt%) analysed up to 7.4%Nb 2 O 5 , 836 ppm Ta, and 1.31% Y. Discrete columbite-tantalite and betafite have been identified in these concentrates in addition to other minerals like zircon, rutile, sphene and xenotime. This area with discrete RM R EE mineral phases could be significant as a non-pegmatite source for rare metal and rare earths. (author)

Geology, market and supply chain of niobium and tantalum—a review

Science.gov (United States)

Mackay, Duncan A. R.; Simandl, George J.

2014-12-01

Tantalum (Ta) and niobium (Nb) are essential metals in modern society. Their use in corrosion prevention, micro-electronics, specialty alloys and high-strength low-alloy (HSLA) steel earns them a strategic designation in most industrialised countries. The Ta market is unstable due in part to historic influx of `conflict' columbite-tantalite concentrate, or "Coltan," that caused Ta mines in Australia and Canada to be placed on care and maintenance. More recently, the growing appetite of modern society for consumer goods made of `conflict-free' minerals or metals has put pressure on suppliers. Pegmatites, rare-element-enriched granites, related placer deposits and weathered crusts overlying carbonatite and peralkaline complexes account for the majority of Ta production. Several carbonatite-related deposits (e.g. Upper Fir and Crevier, Canada) are being considered for potential co-production of Ta and Nb. Pyrochlore (Nb-Ta), columbite-tantalite (Nb-Ta), wodginite (Ta, Nb and Sn) and microlite (Ta and Nb) are the main ore minerals. Approximately 40 % of Ta used in 2012 came from Ta mines, 30 % from recycling, 20 % from tin slag refining and 10 % from secondary mine concentrates. Due to rapid industrialisation and increased use of Nb in steel making in countries such as China and India, demand for Nb is rising. Weathered crusts overlying carbonatite complexes in Brazil and one hard rock carbonatite deposit in Canada account for about 92 and 7 % of Nb world mine production, respectively. Since the bulk of the production is geographically and politically restricted to a single country, security of supply is considered at risk. Other prospective resources of Nb, beside carbonatites and associated weathered crusts, are peralkaline complexes (e.g. Nechalacho; where Nb is considered as a potential co-product of REE and zirconium). Economically, significant deposits of Ta and Nb contain pyrochlore, columbite-tantalite, fersmite, loparite and strüverite. Assuming continued

The natural radioactivity in the Serido Pegmatite Province - Rio Grande do Norte State (Brazil): assessment and monitoring of water's source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campos, Thomas F.C; Petta, Reinaldo A.; Malanca, Alberto; Guimaraes Guedes, Anderson; Pastura, Valeria F.S.; Sindern, Sven

2008-01-01

Full text: This abstract show the preliminary considerations of a study accomplished on the radioactive minerals, primary and secondary uranium minerals that occur in the pegmatites of the Serido Region, State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil and their influence on the several sources of water provision and on population nuclei of the area from the municipal district of Parelhas and Ecuador. In general, the pegmatite from the area of Ecuador-Parelhas present high environmental radioactivity so much due to the dispersed uranium in the crystalline structure of minerals (columbite-tantalite, albite, microcline, quartz, phosphate minerals, tourmaline, lepidolite and apatite), as primary and secondary uranium minerals (uraninite, pitchblende, gummite, autunite, torbernite, and uranium-bearing opal, etc.). These uranium minerals appear associates to the fracture and voids in the pegmatite and in the tourmaline-bearing granite. These minerals were identified by petrography, X-Rays diffraction, ultraviolet fluorescence analysis, infrared spectroscopy, radioactivity (HPGe gamma spectrometry), thermal behavior and chemical analysis (ICP-MS and AAS, Microprobe). Geochemistry and hydrochemistry preliminary environmental studies on the pegmatites bodies from Serido Region show gamma radiation level which between 150 to 30.000 cps; uranium (U 3 O 8 ) and thorium (ThO 2 ) content in Columbite-Tantalite (and/or polycrase) varying between 0,3% - 3,0% and 0,1% - 0,5% respectively, and the coating existent in these minerals show uranium contents varying between 20% to 60%. While the soil samples gathered in Ecuador/Parelhas districts show an average activity of 226 Ra, 232 Th, and 40 K of 27.1/39.1; 33.74/48.5; 260.1/234.8 (Bq.kg -1 , dry-weight), respectively, and the corresponding kerma rate (l) in air are 50 and 67 nGyh -1 ], suggesting that the acid underground waters and others oxidizers attack and dissolve the radioactive minerals from pegmatite, generating solutions rich in U 6

Fluid fractionation of tungsten during granite-pegmatite differentiation and the metal source of peribatholitic W quartz veins: Evidence from the Karagwe-Ankole Belt (Rwanda)

Science.gov (United States)

Hulsbosch, Niels; Boiron, Marie-Christine; Dewaele, Stijn; Muchez, Philippe

2016-02-01

The identification of a magmatic source for granite-associated rare metal (W, Nb, Ta and Sn) mineralisation in metasediment-hosted quartz veins is often obscured by intense fluid-rock interactions which metamorphically overprinted most source signatures in the vein system. In order to address this recurrent metal sourcing problem, we have studied the metasediment-hosted tungsten-bearing quartz veins of the Nyakabingo deposit of the Karagwe-Ankole belt in Central Rwanda. The vein system (992 ± 2 Ma) is spatiotemporal related to the well-characterised B-rich, F-poor G4 leucogranite-pegmatite suite (986 ± 10 Ma to 975 ± 8 Ma) of the Gatumba-Gitarama area which culminated in Nb-Ta-Sn mineralisation. Muscovite in the Nyakabingo veins is significantly enriched in granitophile elements (Rb, Cs, W and Sn) and show alkali metal signatures equivalent to muscovite of less-differentiated pegmatite zones of the Gatumba-Gitarama area. Pegmatitic muscovite records a decrease in W content with increasing differentiation proxies (Rb and Cs), in contrast to the continuous enrichment of other high field strength elements (Nb and Ta) and Sn. This is an indication of a selective redistribution for W by fluid exsolution and fluid fractionation. Primary fluid inclusions in tourmaline of these less-differentiated pegmatites demonstrate the presence of medium to low saline, H2O-NaCl-KCl-MgCl2-complex salt (e.g. Rb, Cs) fluids which started to exsolve at the G4 granite-pegmatite transition stage. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass-spectrometry shows significant tungsten enrichment in these fluid phases (∼5-500 ppm). Fractional crystallisation has been identified previously as the driving mechanism for the transition from G4 granites, less-differentiated biotite, biotite-muscovite towards muscovite pegmatites and eventually columbite-tantalite mineralised pegmatites. The general absence of tungsten mineralisation in this magmatic suite, including the most differentiated

Environmental and safety education in Brazil: preventive measures to avoid contamination with U and Th in small mining sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonseca, Valeria da; Pastura, Silvia; Wieland, Patricia; Campos, Thomas F. da C.

2008-01-01

This paper presents the Environmental and Safety Educational Campaign on the care in the small mining 'garimpo' with radioactive ore of uranium and thorium. These radionuclides are the major source of radioactive material present in certain mineral from rocks for example, tantalite / columbite, granites with cassiterite coal, phosphates, zirconate and rare-earth elements. The occurrence of radioactive ores in some sites has risen especial attention from CNEN such as in Borborema Mountain, where Uranium and Thorium are found scattered in pegmatite bodies from Serido region between Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba states, and in Amapa state, in the Amazonian forest region, where thorianite was being illegally mined. Besides work accident risks inherent to this activity, there are radiological risks, showing the need to adapt measures and actions aiming at the health and safety of the small miners and population in general. The campaign involves cooperatives, trade unions, schools, non-governmental organization, entities involved in national security and others take part. The objective is to foment actions of radiological safety, in order to guarantee the protection and safety of the workers, their families and population. (author)

The business opportunities of the nuclear renaissance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mattos, Joao Roberto Loureiro de; Dias, Marcio Soares

2008-01-01

After 20 years of nuclear moratory, the renaissance of nuclear energy as a primary source for generating electric energy brings important developments for all organizations involved in the Brazilian nuclear sector with different business opportunities throughout the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear power generation. In Brazil the uranium is found in association with other elements of great commercial value as, for example, the phosphate (agribusiness) and columbite tantalite (computer/communication). The efficiency of the processing and extraction of the elements is associated with the adaptation of technological processes which are appropriate to the genesis of the Brazilian ore. In the manufacture of advanced nuclear fuels, in addition to the new capacities for advanced calculation and designs, skills are necessary for the development of new alloys and materials. The decommissioning of nuclear power plants demands the development of decontamination of materials for the purpose of recycling and reutilization of sites for new use. This document analyzes the role of business opportunities and the future demands in the value chain of nuclear activities. Institutions of R and D and Brazilian universities play a important role for the formation of the new demanded knowledge and human resources. (author)

Tantalum: A strategic metal; Tantalo: Un metal estrategico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez-Lopez, G.; Lopez-Lopez, J.; Garcia-Yagues, M. R.

2009-07-01

In nature, the main source of tantalum is an isomorphous series of minerals containing oxides of tantalum, niobium, iron and manganese, which are collectively known as columbine-tantalite (coltan). Upgraded Ta{sub 2}O{sub 5}-containing tin slags are also used as a secondary source of tantalum. Coltan, either naturally occurring or synthetically produced as concentrates from tin slags, are digested with hydrofluoric and sulphuric acid at an elevated temperature. the aqueous solution of ta-Nb in hydrofluoric acid is extracted in several continuously operating mixer-settler systems or extraction columns with an organic solvent like methyl isobutyl ketone. The organic phase is then scrubbed with 6-15 N H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} to separate the niobium from the tantalum by selective stripping. The tantalum salt is extracted from the organic phase with water or diluted aqueous ammonium fluoride solution, the demands of the solid tantalum capacitor industry for high quality, high surface area tantalum powders have driven improvements in the sodium reduction of K{sub 2}TaF{sub 7}. The much-improved chemistry reflects the many modifications to the process put in place after 1990 and the subsequent improvements in the electrical quality as measured by the performance of tantalum capacitors. (Author) 5 refs.

Process technology - rare and refractory metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, C.K.; Bose, D.K.

1989-01-01

India has fairly rich resreves of rare and refractory metals. Abundant sources of ilmenite, rutile, zircon and rare earths are found in the placer deposits of the southern and eastern coasts of the country. Columbite-tantalite occur in mica and the mining belts of Bihar and cassiterite deposits are found in Bastar (Madhya Pradesh). Vanadium as a minor associate occurs in bauxites and in the vast deposits of titaniferrous magnetites. Over the years, research and development and pilot plant works in many research organisations in India have built up a sound technological base in the country for process metallurgy of many refractory and rare earth metals starting from their indigenous sources. The present paper provides a comprehensive view of the developments that have taken place till now on the processing of various refractory and rare earth metals with particular reference to the extensive work carried out at the Department of Atomic Energy. The coverage includes mineral benification separation of individual elements, preparation of pure intermediates, techniques of reduction to metal and final purification. The paper also reviews some of the recent developments that have been taken place in these fields and the potential application of these metals in the foreseeable future. (author). 22 refs., 18 fi g., 7 tabs

Niobium and tantalum

Science.gov (United States)

Schulz, Klaus J.; Piatak, Nadine M.; Papp, John F.; Schulz, Klaus J.; DeYoung,, John H.; Seal, Robert R.; Bradley, Dwight C.

2017-12-19

mineral tantalite ((Fe,Mn)(Ta,Nb)2O6), which is found as an accessory mineral in rare-metal granites and pegmatites that are also enriched in lithium and cesium (termed lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT)-type pegmatites).Brazil and Canada are the leading nations that produce niobium mineral concentrates, but Brazil is by far the leading producer, accounting for about 90 percent of production, which comes mostly from weathered material derived from carbonatites. Brazil and Canada also have the largest identified niobium resources; additional resources, although they are less well reported, occur in Angola, Australia, China, Greenland, Malawi, Russia, and South Africa. Australia and Brazil have been the leading producers of tantalum mineral concentrates, although recently Ethiopia and Mozambique have also been significant suppliers of tantalum. Artisanal mining of columbite-tantalite (also called coltan) is practiced in many countries, particularly Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Congo [Kinshasa]), Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. Brazil has about 40 percent of the identified tantalum resources; other countries and regions with identified tantalum resources include, in decreasing order of resources, Australia, Asia, Russia and the Middle East, Africa, North America, and Europe. Identified niobium and tantalum resources in the United States are small, low grade, and difficult to recover and process, and are thus not commercially recoverable at current prices. Consequently, the United States meets its current and expected future needs for niobium and tantalum through imports of primary mineral concentrates and alloys and through recovery from foreign and domestic alloy scrap that contain the metals.Environmentally, the main issues related to niobium and tantalum mining are land disruptions, the volume of waste materials and their disposal, and the radioactivity of some tailings and waste materials that contain thorium and uranium. Because of the relative biological

Las mineralizaciones litiniferas del oeste de Salamanca y Zamora

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Palero, F.

1992-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to describe the most important geological, mineralogical and geochemical features of the Li ores (bouth pegmatites and quartz veins located in the west part of the Salamanca and Zamora provinces. The pegmatites mostly belong to the lepidolite type and they are complex and zoned. In one case, the ore in the pegmatite is litiophilite, and the pegmatite is simple. The veins are quartz rich with ambligonite and sorne feldspar and sulphides. They appear always related to granitic rocks. All these bodies are also mineralized with cassiterite, and sorne of them contain columbite tantalite too.El objeto de este trabajo es el describir las características geológicas, mineralógicas y geoquímicas más importantes de las mineralizaciones de Li (pegmatitas y filones localizadas en el oeste de las provincias de Salamanca y Zamora. La mayor parte de las pegmatitas son de lepidolita como mena de Li, resultando todas éstas ser complejas y zonadas. En un caso, la mineralización es de litiofilita y la pegmatita que la alberga es simple. Los filones son de cuarzo con ambligonita y algo de feldespato y sulfuros. Todos los yacimientos aparecen siempre en relación con rocas graníticas. A su vez, todos los cuerpos estudiados están mineralizados en casiterita, y algunos de ellos en columbo-tantalita también.

Assessment of radiation hazards associated with tailing and sediment from an abandoned gold mine in Ilesa and an active tantalite mine in Ijero, southwest Nigeria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isinkaye, O. [Ekiti State University (Nigeria)

2014-07-01

The implication of indiscriminate or unregulated mining activities has been pointed out as a major risk to human health and the environment. In order to assess the potential radiological hazards pose to the environment due to mining activities in southwest Nigeria, the activity concentrations of {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th was determined in tailing and sediment from two mines within the study area. The samples were analysed by gamma spectrometry with low background NaI(Tl) detector. The activity concentrations of {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th in all the measured samples ranged from 249.66-1459.25 BqKg{sup -1}, 7.62-50.31 Bqkg{sup -1} and 12.68-234.18 Bqkg{sup -1}, respectively in soil while in sediment samples, the values ranged from 241.86-1590.40 Bqkg{sup -1}, 9.86-74.8 Bqkg{sup -1} and 15.47-145.46 Bqkg{sup -1} for {sup 40}K, {sup 226}Ra and {sup 232}Th, respectively. In order to evaluate the radiological hazards due to the concentrations of natural radionuclides in the samples, the radium equivalent activity, external hazard index, absorbed gamma dose rates and the annual effective dose rates were determined. All these hazard indexes have mean values which are higher than the world average values but are all within their acceptable limits. Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

Provenance of radioactive placers, Big Meadow area, Valley and Boise Counties, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Truesdell, D.; Wegrzyn, R.; Dixon, M.

1977-02-01

For many years, radioactive black-sand placers have been known to be present in the Bear Valley area of west-central Idaho. The largest of these is in Big Meadow, near the head of Bear Valley Creek. Presence of these placers suggests that low-grade uranium deposits might occur in rocks of the Idaho Batholith, adjacent to Bear Valley. This study was undertaken to locate the provenance of the radioactive minerals and to identify problems that need to be solved before undertaking further investigations. The principal radioactive minerals in these placers are monazite and euxenite. Other minerals include columbite, samarskite, fergusonite, xenotime, zircon, allanite, sphene, and brannerite. Only brannerite is a uranium mineral; the others contain uranium as an impurity in crystal lattices. Radiometric determinations of the concentration of uranium in stream sediments strongly indicate that the radioactive materials originate in an area drained by Casner and Howard Creeks. Equivalent uranium levels in bedrock are highest on the divide between Casner and Howard Creeks. However, this area is not known to contain low-grade uranium occurrences. Euxenite, brannerite, columbite-tantalite, samarskite, and allanite are the principal radioactive minerals that were identified in rock samples. These minerals were found in granite pegmatites, granites, and quartz monzonites. Appreciably higher equivalent uranium concentrations were also found within these rock types. The major problem encountered in this study was the difficulty in mapping bedrock because of extensive soil and glacial mantle. A partial solution to this problem might be the application of radon emanometry so that radiometric measurements would not be limited to the sparse bedrock samples

Gold, iron and manganese in central Amapá, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Scarpelli

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: Greenstone belts with deposits of gold, iron and manganese are common in the Paleoproterozoic Maroni-Itacaiunas Tectonic Province of the Guiana Shield. In Brazil, in the State of Amapá and northwest of Pará, they are represented by the Vila Nova Group, constituted by a basal unit of metabasalts, covered by metasediments of clastic and chemical origin. The basal metasediments, the Serra do Navio Formation, are made of a cyclothem with lenses of manganese marbles at the top of each cycle. Under the intense weathering of the Amazon, these lenses were oxidized to large deposits of high-grade manganese oxides. The exploitation of these oxides left behind the manganese carbonates and low-grade oxides. The overlaying Serra da Canga Formation presents a calcium and magnesium domain grading to an iron domain with banded silicate and oxide iron formations, mined for iron ores. Overlapping structures and superposed metamorphic crystallizations indicate two phases of dynamothermal metamorphism, the first one with axis to north-northeast and the second one to northwest, with an intermediate phase of thermal metamorphism related to syntectonic granitic intrusions. Shears oriented north-south, possibly formed during the first dynamothermal metamorphism and reactivated in the second, are ideal sites for hydrothermalism and gold mineralization, which is greater when occurs in iron formation and carbonate-bearing rocks, as it happened at the Tucano mine. Layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the greenstones represent a potential for chromite and platinum group elements. Pegmatites are source of cassiterite and tantalite exploited from alluvial deposits.

Strategies for increasing student knowledge and understanding about conflict minerals in a mineralogy class

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, G. W.

2014-12-01

Conflict minerals, including their uses and methods of extraction, are associated with significant societal and environmental issues in today's world. Minerals such as columbite-tantalite (also referred to as COLTAN), wolframite, cassiterite and gold are important in electronics manufacturing and have a wide variety of other usages. Mining practices are frequently unsustainable and have significant impacts on the environment; moreover, in many locations, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the epicenter of the conflict mineral trade—major human rights violations are associated with the extraction and production of these minerals. Because conflict minerals represent a relatively new issue, students in geology classes are frequently unfamiliar with the topic and commonly have little understanding of the concerns. In some cases they are completely unaware of the issues. In an introductory mineralogy class at the University of California, San Diego I have introduced a content module into my otherwise traditional curriculum that introduces students to conflict minerals, explains the issues, and delineates the problems our society will face with the continued uses of these natural resources. Most significantly, an assignment has been created and implemented in class that is paired with the content module and is designed to enhance and reinforce student learning. Its goal is to increase awareness of the societal and environmental issues surrounding conflict minerals. Initial results suggest (based on pre and post-tests) that our students have learned significantly from the combination of content, exercise, and assessment and that they are much better informed on the issues of conflict minerals. This model, including the exercise, can be modified and adapted for other introductory classes and learning settings.

Rare metal granites and related rocks of the Ukrainian shield

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esipchuk, K.Ye.

1993-12-01

Full Text Available Two rare metal leucocratic granites, Perga and Kamennaya complexes, can be distinquished on the Ukrainian shield. The Perga complex consists of medium- and coarse grained, mainly porphyric, biotite, riebeckite and aegirine granites, granite porphyries, microclinites and albitites with rare metal mineralization (genthelvite, phenacite, tantalite, cassiterite and wolframite etc.. Granites from several stocks (up to 30 km2 in the northwestern part of the shield, situated along the fracture zone, restricted the large Korosten pluton of rapakivi granites to the northwest. The age of these granites (Pb-Pb and U-Pb methods on zircon and monazite practically coincide with the age of rapakivi granites being 1750 Ma. Within the Korosten complex of rapakivi granites we consider that zinnwaldite granites, which are characterized by fluorite and topazine mineralization, represent the final phase of pluton. These granites differ from the Perga ones by their low content of rare metals. The Kamennaya Mogila complex lies in the southeastern part of the Ukrainian shield. It consists of biotite and muscovite-biotite, medium- and coarse-grained (also porphyric, and occasionally greisining granites with rare metal mineralization (cassiterite, columbite, molybdenite, wolframite and beryl. Granites form several stocks (5-30 km2 situated 10-30 km to the west-northwest of the South-Kalchik gabbro-syenite-granite pluton. Granitoids in both of these complexes have similar isotopic ages (1800 Ma. Leucocratic subalkaline granites (the Novoyanisol type are known within the pluton itself, occupying an intermediate position between the above mentioned in terms of mineral and geochemical composition. The gabbro-syenite-granite formation of the Nearazov region has a substantial similarity to the anorthosite-rapakivi-granite formation. In this respect the relation of each of them to rare metal granites is rather remarkable. This relation is, most probably, not only spatial, but

Determination of niobium, tantalum, and uranium in tantalite-columbite ores by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry; Application de la spectrometrie de fluorescence de rayos X a la determination de niobium, tantale et uranium dans niobiotantalites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Latorre, O; Bermudez Polonio, J

1964-07-01

A simple and quick procedure is carried out to determine niobium, tantalum and uranium employing the internal standard technique; zinc as internal standard for tantalum and molybdenum for niobium and uranium were selected. Some inter element effects were studied and the ratios. (Author)

Health and ecological hazards due to natural radioactivity in soil from mining areas of Nasarawa State, Nigeria.

Science.gov (United States)

Aliyu, Abubakar Sadiq; Ibrahim, Umar; Akpa, Chidozie Timothy; Garba, Nuraddeen Nasiru; Ramli, Ahmad Termizi

2015-01-01

Nasarawa State is located in north central Nigeria and it is known as Nigeria's home of solid minerals. It is endowed with barite, copper, zinc, tantalite and granite. Continuous releases of mining waste and tailings into the biosphere may result in a build-up of radionuclides in air, water and soil. This work therefore aims to measure the activity concentration levels of primordial radionuclides in the soil/sediment samples collected from selected mines of the mining areas of Nasarawa State. The paper also assesses the radiological and radio ecological impacts of mining activities on the residents of mining areas and their environment. The activity concentrations of primordial radionuclides ((226)Ra, (232)Th and (40)K) in the surface soils/sediment samples were determined using sodium iodide-thallium gamma spectroscopy. Seven major mines were considered with 21 samples taken from each of the mines for radiochemistry analysis. The human health hazard assessment was conducted using regulatory methodologies set by the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, while the radio ecological impact assessment was conducted using the ERICA tool v. 1.2. The result shows that the activity concentrations of (40)K in the water ways of the Akiri copper and the Azara barite mines are 60 and 67% higher than the world average value for (40)K, respectively. In all mines, the annual effective dose rates (mSv y(-1)) were less than unity, and a maximum annual gonadal dose of 0.58 mSv y(-1) is received at the Akiri copper mine, which is almost twice the world average value for gonadal dose. The external hazard indices for all the mines were less than unity. Our results also show that mollusc-gastropod, insect larvae, mollusc-bivalve and zooplankton are the freshwater biotas with the highest dose rates ranging from 5 to 7 µGy h(-1). These higher dose rates could be associated with zinc and copper mining at Abuni and Akiri, respectively. The most exposed

Mineral-deposit model for lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites

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Bradley, Dwight C.; McCauley, Andrew D.; Stillings, Lisa L.

2017-06-20

Lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites comprise a compositionally defined subset of granitic pegmatites. The major minerals are quartz, potassium feldspar, albite, and muscovite; typical accessory minerals include biotite, garnet, tourmaline, and apatite. The principal lithium ore minerals are spodumene, petalite, and lepidolite; cesium mostly comes from pollucite; and tantalum mostly comes from columbite-tantalite. Tin ore as cassiterite and beryllium ore as beryl also occur in LCT pegmatites, as do a number of gemstones and high-value museum specimens of rare minerals. Individual crystals in LCT pegmatites can be enormous: the largest spodumene was 14 meters long, the largest beryl was 18 meters long, and the largest potassium feldspar was 49 meters long.Lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatites account for about one-fourth of the world’s lithium production, most of the tantalum production, and all of the cesium production. Giant deposits include Tanco in Canada, Greenbushes in Australia, and Bikita in Zimbabwe. The largest lithium pegmatite in the United States, at King’s Mountain, North Carolina, is no longer being mined although large reserves of lithium remain. Depending on size and attitude of the pegmatite, a variety of mining techniques are used, including artisanal surface mining, open-pit surface mining, small underground workings, and large underground operations using room-and-pillar design. In favorable circumstances, what would otherwise be gangue minerals (quartz, potassium feldspar, albite, and muscovite) can be mined along with lithium and (or) tantalum as coproducts.Most LCT pegmatites are hosted in metamorphosed supracrustal rocks in the upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies. Lithium-cesium-tantalum pegmatite intrusions generally are emplaced late during orogeny, with emplacement being controlled by pre-existing structures. Typically, they crop out near evolved, peraluminous granites and leucogranites from which they are inferred to be

Uranium-lead dating method at the Pará-Iso isotope geology laboratory, UFPA, Belém - Brazil

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Robert S. Krymsky

2007-03-01

Full Text Available Analytical procedures for U-Pb isotope dilution analyses at the Pará-Iso isotope geology laboratory of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA are described in detail. The procedures are applied to zircon, titanite, rutile, apatite, columbite-tantalite and whole rock. Reagent preparation and chemical processing are done in clean-room conditions. Samples are dissolved using TeflonTM microcapsules in steel jacket TeflonTM Parr InstrumentTM bomb or TeflonTM screw cap containers. U and Pb are separated using anion exchange AG 1x8 resin columns. Typical blanks for mineral sample amounts of 0.01 to 1.0 mg are less than 1 pg U and 20-30 pg Pb. Isotope analysis of the U and Pb from the same filament are carried out using a Finnigan MAT 262 mass-spectrometer in static and dynamic modes. The current analytical level is demonstrated on analyses of international standard zircon 91500 with three different 235U-205Pb and 235U-208Pb isotope tracers and whole rock standards. Results of analyses of two zircon samples are also presented.Os procedimentos analíticos para análises U-Pb por diluição isotópica no Laboratório de Geologia Isotópica (Pará-Iso da Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA são descritos detalhadamente. Esses procedimentos são aplicados para análises de zircão, titanita, rutilo, apatita, columbita-tantalita e rocha total. A purificação dos reagentes e os procedimentos químicos são feitos em salas limpas. As amostras são dissolvidas em microcápsulas de Teflon em bombas do tipo Parr InstrumentTM. U e Pb são separados em colunas com resina de troca iônica AG 1x8. Os brancos de procedimento para amostra típica(0,01-1 mg são menores que 1 pg de U e 20-30 pg de Pb. As análises isotópicas de Pb e de U são feitas em um único filamento de Re em um espectrômetro de massa Finnigan MAT 262 nos modos estático e dinâmico. O nível analítico atual é comprovado pelas análises do padrão internacional de zircão 91500, usando tr

Ediacaran to Cambrian magmatic suites in the Rio Grande do Norte domain, extreme Northeastern Borborema Province (NE of Brazil): Current knowledge

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do Nascimento, Marcos Antonio Leite; Galindo, Antonio Carlos; de Medeiros, Vladimir Cruz

2015-03-01

The Ediacaran-Cambrian plutonic activity is one of the most important geological features of the Rio Grande do Norte Domain (Borborema Province, NE Brazil). It is represented by several batholiths, stocks and dykes. Based on the petrographic, geochemical and geochronological characteristic of different rocks, this plutonic activity can be grouped in six separate suites: shoshonitic (Shos), porphyritic high-K calc-alkaline (PHKCalcAlk), equigranular high K calc-alkaline (EHKCalcAlk), calc-alkaline (CalcAlk), alkaline (Alk) and charnockitic alkaline (ChAlk). Geochemically, the Shos, CalcAlk and Alk suites are differentiated from the others, while ChAlc can be distinguished from the others in some diagrams. The greatest difficulty lies in distinguishing between the chemically similar PHKCalcAlk and EHKCalcAlk. To this end, existing geochronological data as well as related petrographic and textural field aspects may be used to distinguish the two mentioned suites (PHKCalcAlk and EHKCalcAlk). Petrographically, the Shos suite has composition between gabbro/diorite and quartz monzonite. Monzogranites (with subordinate granodiorites and quartz monzonites) predominate in both PHKCalcAlk and EHKCalcAlk. Calc is composed of granodiorites to tonalites. Alc is formed by alkali feldspar granites (with subordinate alkali feldspar quartz syenites and syenogranites), whereas ChAlc has quartz mangerites and charnockites. The suites were emplaced between the Ediacaran (635-541 Ma) and Cambrian (541-485 Ma), predominantly in the Ediacaran, based on 34 U-Pb datings (zircon, titanite, monazite and columbite-tantalite), 17 Rb-Sr (whole rock) and 1 Sm-Nd (total rock and mineral) internal isochrons. The Shos suite has U-Pb ages varying from 599 ± 16 (Poço Verde pluton) to 579 ± 7 (Acari and São João do Sabugi plutons), slightly older than those of the PHKCalcAlk suite, which ranges between 591 ± 4 Ma (Totoró pluton) and 544 ± 7 Ma (São José de Espinharas pluton). The Calc