Studies on Medium Grade Ilmenite-Depleted Beach Placer deposit of Chavakkad Ponnani Coast, Kerala

Abstract

In the present paper, characterization, beneficiation and further value addition studies carried out with samples collected from unexploited Chavakkad ponnani (CP) area of Kerala coast have been reported. Characterization studies involve size and chemical analyses, sink and float studies and optical microscopy. total 21 samples were collected from 18 km. stretch of CP area at almost 1 km. apart. While sink and float studies and optical microscopy were carried on with all individual samples, detail characterization and beneficiation studies were undertaken with composite samples-one prepared from all 21 samples and the second from few selected samples. Pre-concentration followed by high tension separation and magnetic separation yielded product containing more than 95% THM with around 90% recovery. Further value addition studies with generated ilmenite concentrate was found to produce synthetic rutile, through reduction followed by oxidation and leaching, containing more than 94% TiO2.