- 1. ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands DavidFreeman
WarrenBruckard,MarkPownceby LeanneSmith,GrahamSparrow
PROCESSSCIENCEANDENGINEERING 5March2014
2. IntroducHon MurrayBasindepositamajorheavymineralsandsresource
Theingroundwealthisnotbeingfullyu@lised
TheVictorianDepartmentofStateDevelopment,Businessand
Innova@oncommissionedCSIROtoconductaReviewand
AssessmentofTechnologyIssuesRelatedtoProcessingofMurray
BasinMineralSands Thispresenta@onisasummaryoftheresults2|
Presenta@on@tle|Presentername 3. MineralSandsProvincesinAustralia N
N0100010 oKilometres20EASTERN AUSTRALIAN HM
PROVINCEoHistoricalproduc@on (1870s)1934- Currentproduc@on
1956-MURRAY BASIN30 oCurrentproduc@on 2001- WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HM
PROVINCE o11040 oEUCLA BASINo1303|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanCurrentproduc@on 2009-
o150 4. WorldProducHonofTitanates2011 17.2%33.3% Australia
SouthAfrica 15.4%China India UnitedStates Others3.0% 7.7%4|
Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman11.7% 5. WorldProducHonofZircon2011
10.6%5.7% 2.1% 43.7%Australia SouthAfrica12.3%China India
UnitedStates Others 25.6%5| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman 6.
70.0%Ilmeniteresourcesbyregion
61.1%60.0%Percentage50.0%45.0%40.0%35.7%
31.7%EDR(%)30.0%Inferred(%) 19.3%20.0%7.2%10.0%0.0% WAQldRegion6|
Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 7. RuHleresourcesbyregion
100.0% 89.5%90.0% 80.0%Percentage70.0%61.8%60.0%
50.0%EDR(%)40.0%Inferred(%)30.0% 20.0%20.0%17.6%10.0%5.8%4.6%0.0%
WAQld Region7| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 8.
90.0%Zirconresourcesbyregion 80.1%80.0% 70.0%Percentage60.0% 50.0%
40.9%40.0% 30.0%EDR(%)29.3%Inferred(%)20.0%16.2% 10.7%10.0%4.4%0.0%
WAQld Region8| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 9.
MurrayBasinmineralsanddeposits Boundary of Murray Basin Extent of
Loxton-Parilla Sands Unita)Coarse-grained beach placer strandline
deposit Fine-grained sheetlike depositb)Broken
HillMilduraMindarie2N9| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman14MELBOURNE 160
KilometresBirthday Gift Karra Castaw C ylinde ay r e rr ibe e Earl
K Wemen Woornack Kulwin ck R o wn a Swan Hill Donald Drun g S th
Echo BondiN03Snapper GinkgoDE AD ELA IAD ELAID EBroken Hill0160
KilometresMELBOURNE 10. MurrayBasinMineralSandDeposits
StrandlineDeposits90-300msimilartoconven@onaldeposits
Wemen2001-2004MBTi Iluka(Bondi,Echo) Cristal(Ginkgo,Snapper)
MurrayZircon Iluka IlukaDouglas2004-2012 Pooncarie2005-
Mindarie2007- Kulwin2009-2012 Woornack,Rownack&Pirro2012-
WIM-typedeposits40-80mmuchnerthanconven@onaldeposits WIM50 Iluka
WIM100 Iluka WIM150 AustralianZircon/Murray Zircon WIM200
JacksonASTRON WIM250 DonaldASTRON 10|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 11.
MurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates a)b)CP1 mm1 mmCoarsegrain 11|
Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanFinegrain 12.
MurrayBasinStrandlineMineralSand Deposits Project AreaMeasured
resource* SizeGradeTHM(Mt)(%
THM)(Mt)Wemen21.33.30.7Douglas40.29.5Pooncarie133MindarieHeavy
mineral assemblage
IlmeniteLeucoxeneRutileZircon(%)(%)(%)(%)Wemen51n.r.28113.8Bondi
Main35.27.410.38.13.95.2Ginkgo69.9n.r.12.710.439.53.61.4Mindarie
C65.26.64.919.1Ouyen21.024.05.1Woornack/
Rownack/Pirro30.1n.r17.99.2Euston35.414.25.0n.r.42211210Balranaldn.r.n.r.14.5Balranald
Westn.r.n.r.10-15n.r.Twelve Milen.r.n.r.n.r.Birthday
Gift49.08.019.011.0* Measured data for the project area. Total
heavy mineral content. n.r. = not reported.12|
Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanDeposit 13.
MurrayBasinHeavyMineralsvalues GlobalWeightedAveragePrices2011
Ilmenite US$220/t Ru@le US$870/t Zircon US$2500/t
Basedonpossibleresourcesthevalueofthe
heavymillionintheMurrayBasindepositsis aroundUS$200Billion13|
Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman 14. SucHonDredgeMiningMineralSands
Sandpumpedto gravitysepara@on toproducethe HMCconcentrate14|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 15.
RecoveryandSeparaHonofMineralSands HeavyMineralConcentrate(HMC)
Gravitysepara@onusingSpirals SeparaHonofHeavyMinerals
Magne@csepara@onIlmenitemagne@cRu@leandZirconnonmagne@c
Electrosta@csepara@onRu@le/leucoxeneconductorZirconnonconductor
(monazite) Flota@onZirconfromru@le(ByronBay1930s)
Monazite(Eneabba1970s) 15|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 16.
CharacterisaHonofIlmenite
[email protected]%TiO247.3%FeO(52.6%Fe2O3)
Subs@tu@onMg,Mn,forFe(II)inthelajce
WeatheringOxida@onofFe(II),Removalofiron,increasedTiO2content
PrimaryIlmenite48-53%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]~0.5
WeatheredIlmenite55-62%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.50.6
Pseudoru@le60-70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.60.7
HydroxilianPseudoru@le~70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.850.9
Leucoxene>70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.70.9 Ru@le,Anatase95%TiO216|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 17.
TitaniaPigmentProcesses SulphateRoute
Diges@oninconcH2SO4at150-180C,dissolu@onofresul@ngporouscake,removalofFe(SO4).7H2O,hydrolysisandprecipita@onofTiO2
FeedstockrequirementsPrimaryilmeniteorslag,highFe(II)/Fe(III)forreac@vity
DeleteriousImpuri4esCr,V,Cu,Ni,Mn,Nb(colourpigment)0.1%Cr2O3limitChlorideRoute
Chlorina@oninFBreactorwithreductantat900-1000C,frac@onatemetalchloridesto
removeimpuri@es,oxidisepureTiCl4athightemperaturetoTiO2
FeedstockrequirementsHighTiO2content:synthe@cru@le,slag,leucoxene,ru@le
Size(>100m)andDensity
DeleteriousImpuri4esCa,Mg,Mn(bed)Cr,V,Mn(colour)U,Th(disposal)
0.2%Cr2O3limit 17| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman
18. CurrentProcessingWestCoastIlmenites
PrimaryilmenitesulphateprocessTiO2pigment 58%TiO2 92%TiO2SR
99%TiO218| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 19.
BecherProcessingCondiHons
WeatheredilmeniteKilnreduc@onAera@onSynthe@cru@le >58%TiO2
withcoalNH4Cl92-95%TiO2 1150CModiedBecherCondiHons
removeMnSinkilnandacidleachaweraera@on
SyntheHcRuHleEnhancementProcess(SREP)
removeUandThBorateuxinkilnandacidleachaweraera@on19|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 20.
CommercialIlmeniteUpgradingProcesses AcidLeachingwithHCl
WahChangProcessReducHonandAcidLeaching
BeneliteProcessreduc@ontoFe(II)withCat700-900CHClleach
IshiharaProcessreduc@ontoFe(II)withCat900CH2SO4leach
BecherProcessreduc@ontoFemwithCat1150CaerateNH4Cl SmelHngOperaHons
SouthAfricaACsubmergedarc,DCarcplasmafurnaceswith Cat1700C
UGSCanada(upgradedslag)oxidnat1025C,rednCO/H2at850C,HClleach 20|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 21.
CharacterisaHonofMurrayBasinIlmenitesElectron microprob emapping
21| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 22.
CharacterisaHonofMurrayBasinIlmenites Iden@ca@on of@tanate
phasespresent22|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanIncreasing altera@on
23. ResultsforMurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates
Removalofchromespinels
MagneHcfracHonaHonScalpverymagne@cchromespinelsObtainaprimaryandaweatheredproduct
feed0.94%Cr2O3primaryilmenite0.43%Cr2O3andweatheredilmenite1.45%Cr2O3FlotaHonfeed1.23%Cr2O3product0.56%Cr2O3
RoastandMagneHcSeparaHonAimtoincreasemagne@cproper@esoftheilmenitebutnotofthechromespinels
ilmenite-hema@tesolidsolu@onorformmagne@teongrains
Useoxidisingorreducingcondi@ons
controlledbythedegreeofweatheringoftheilmenite 23|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 24.
ResultsforMurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates
RemovalofchromespinelsbyroasHng
CSIRORoastandMagneHcSeparaHonRoastat575-650Cfeed0.74%Cr2O3product0.09%Cr2O3TricalRoastandMagneHcSeparaHonRoastat450-600Cfeed1%Cr2O3products92%TiO2
andlowerMg,MnandCr levels)Magne@singroastat~600Cina
uidisedbedreactor Austpaccondi@ons CSIROcondi@ons Tricalcondi@ons
WIMcondi@ons Fluidisedbedprocesses Mursoprocess AustpacERMSprocess
NewGenSRprocessModicaHons to exisHng equipment are
requiredtohandlethenerminerals Dustisanissue
Flota@oncanhandleneminerals Use to separate rather than concentrate
the neminerals Economic reagent schemes required to be demonstrated
Blowoverofnesfromauidisedbed reactorisanissue
RequiredesignandtesHngofacirculaHng
uidisedbedreactortopreventblowover
InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon
onretenHonofnesalsorequiredKiln-basedprocesses (ModiedBecher)
Hybridprocess Acidsolublesynthe@cru@le RUTILETechnology
Mineralconcentra@onand separa@on
(Produceaheavymineralconcentrateandseparate
mineralconcentrates)Primaryilmenitetoasulphate pigmentfeedstock
(LowerCrlevels)27|
ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanAustpacERMSprocessdemonstratedat
pilotplantscale RequireademonstraHonplantinthe basin
RequiredemonstraHonofthepossible
technologiesatalargerscaleBlowoverofnesfromauidisedbedreactor
isanissue Require design and tesHng of a circulaHng
uidisedbedreactortopreventblowover oftheneminerals
InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon onretenHonofnesalsorequired
Reten@onofnesinakilnisanissueduethe highexhaustgasowsfromakiln
InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon and ux addiHons on losses of
nes from kilnisrequired 28. ProperHesofMurrayBasinZircons
RadioacHvityLevelsinZirconcanbeanissue
CommerciallyrequiredtokeepU+Th
