Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores

Berhe Goitom Gebreyohannes; Vel&#225;zquez del Rosario Alberto; Abubeker Yimam; Girma Woldetinsae; Bogale Tadesse

doi:10.1007/s12613-017-1456-8

Volume 24 Issue 7

Jul. 2017

Turn off MathJax

数据统计

计量

文章访问数: 639
HTML全文浏览量: 128
PDF下载量: 33
被引次数: 0

文章导航 > 矿物冶金与材料学报（英文） > 2017 > 24(7): 727-735

Berhe Goitom Gebreyohannes, Velázquez del Rosario Alberto, Abubeker Yimam, Girma Woldetinsae, and Bogale Tadesse, Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 24(2017), No. 7, pp. 727-735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-017-1456-8

Cite this article as:

Berhe Goitom Gebreyohannes, Velázquez del Rosario Alberto, Abubeker Yimam, Girma Woldetinsae, and Bogale Tadesse, Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 24(2017), No. 7, pp. 727-735. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-017-1456-8

Citation:

PDF( 807 KB)

引用本文 PDF XML SpringerLink

研究论文

Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
Chemistry Department, College of Natural and Computational Science, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 823, Mekelle, Ethiopia
School of Chemical and Bio Engineering, AAiT, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Research and Development Directorate, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, P.O. Box 486, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Department of Mining Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering, Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Egan St, Kalgoorlie, WA 6430, Australia

通讯作者:
Berhe Goitom Gebreyohannes E-mail: goitish2500@gmail.com

中文摘要

The beneficiation methods for Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores were assessed through mineralogical and quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). The tantalite in the upper zone of the Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene deposit is 58.7wt% higher than that in the inner zone. XRD analysis revealed that the upper zone is dominated by manganocolumbite, whereas the inner zone is predominantly tantalite-Mn. Repeated cleaning and beneficiation of the upper-zone ore resulted in concentrate compositions of 57.34wt% of Ta₂O₅ and 5.41wt% of Nb₂O₅. Washing the tantalite concentrates using 1vol% KOH and 1 M H₂SO₄ led to the removal of thorium and uranium radioactive oxides from the concentrate. The findings of this study suggest that the beneficiation and alkaline washing of Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores produce a high-grade export-quality tantalite concentrate with negligible radioactive oxides.

关键词:

Research Article

Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores

+ Author Affiliations

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Jimma Institute of Technology, Jimma University, P.O. Box 378, Jimma, Ethiopia
Chemistry Department, College of Natural and Computational Science, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 823, Mekelle, Ethiopia
School of Chemical and Bio Engineering, AAiT, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Research and Development Directorate, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Natural Gas, P.O. Box 486, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Department of Mining Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering, Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Egan St, Kalgoorlie, WA 6430, Australia

Corresponding author:
Berhe Goitom Gebreyohannes E-mail: goitish2500@gmail.com
Received: 26 October 2016; Revised: 10 December 2016; Accepted: 13 December 2016

Abstract

Abstract

The beneficiation methods for Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores were assessed through mineralogical and quantitative analyses with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF). The tantalite in the upper zone of the Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene deposit is 58.7wt% higher than that in the inner zone. XRD analysis revealed that the upper zone is dominated by manganocolumbite, whereas the inner zone is predominantly tantalite-Mn. Repeated cleaning and beneficiation of the upper-zone ore resulted in concentrate compositions of 57.34wt% of Ta₂O₅ and 5.41wt% of Nb₂O₅. Washing the tantalite concentrates using 1vol% KOH and 1 M H₂SO₄ led to the removal of thorium and uranium radioactive oxides from the concentrate. The findings of this study suggest that the beneficiation and alkaline washing of Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores produce a high-grade export-quality tantalite concentrate with negligible radioactive oxides.
- beneficiation;
- manganocolumbite;
- pegmatite-spodumene;
- radioactive oxides;
- tantalite

FullText(HTML)

Supplements(0)

References(31)

References

[1]	A.A. Baba, F.A. Adekola, O.I. Dele-Ige, and R.B. Bale, Investigation of dissolution kinetics of a Nigerian tantalite ore in nitric acid, J. Miner. Mater. Charact. Eng., 7(2007), No. 1, p. 83.
[2]	S. Bernstein, D. Frei, R.K. McLimans, C. Knudsen, and V.N. Vasudev, Application of CCSEM to heavy mineral deposits, Source of high-Ti ilmenite sand deposits of South Kerala beaches, SW India, J. Geochem. Explor., 96(2008), No. 1, p. 25.
[3]	F. Melcher, T. Graupner, H.E. Gäbler, M. Sitnikova, F. Henjes-Kunst, T. Oberthür, A. Gerdes, and S. Dewaele, Tantalum-(niobium-tin) mineralisation in African pegmatites and rare metal granites:Constraints from Ta-Nb oxide mineralogy, geochemistry and U-Pb geochronology, Ore Geol. Rev., 64(2015), p. 667.
[4]	M.O.H. Amuda, D.E. Esezobor, and G.I. Lawal, Adaptable technologies for life-cycle processing of tantalum bearing minerals, J. Miner. Mater. Charact. Eng., 6(2007), No. 1, p. 69.
[5]	H.H. Htwe and K.T. Lwin, Study on extraction of niobium oxide from columbite-tantalite concentrate, Int. J. Chem. Mol. Nucl. Mater. Metall. Eng., 2(2008), No. 10, p. 223.
[6]	E.V. Badanina, M.A. Sitnikova, V.V. Gordienko, F. Melcher, H.-E. Gäbler, J. Lodziak, and L.F. Syritso, Mineral chemistry of columbite-tantalite from spodumene pegmatites of Kolmozero, Kola Peninsula (Russia), Ore Geol. Rev., 64(2015), p. 720.
[7]	M. Van Lichtervelde, Rare-element pegmatites-from natural systems to the experimental lab, Mitt. Österr. Miner. Ges., 160(2014), p. 13.
[8]	H. Beurlen, A. Müller, D. Silva, and M.R.R. Da Silva, Petrogenetic significance of LA-ICP-MS trace-element data on quartz from the Borborema Pegmatite Province, northeast Brazil, Mineral. Mag., 75(2011), No. 5, p. 2703.
[9]	R.H. Mitchell, Primary and secondary niobium mineral deposits associated with carbonatites, Ore Geol. Rev., 64(2015), p. 626.
[10]	F. Melcher, M.A. Sitnikova, T. Graupner, N. Martin, T. Oberthür, F. Henjes-Kunst, E. Gäbler, A. Gerdes, H. Brätz, D.W. Davis, and S. Dewaele, Fingerprinting of conflict minerals:columbite-tantalite ("coltan") ores, SGA News, 2008, No. 23, p. 7.
[11]	A.L. Nikolaev, N.V. Kirichenko, and V.G. Maiorov, Niobium, tantalum, and titanium fluoride solutions, Russ. J. Inorg. Chem., 54(2009), No. 4, p. 505.
[12]	A.R. Adetunji, W.O. Siyanbola, I.I. Funtua, S.O.O. Olusunle, A.A. Afonja, and O.O. Adewoye, Assessment of beneficiation routes of tantalite ores from key locations in Nigeria, J. Miner. Mater. Charact. Eng., 4(2005), No. 2, p. 85.
[13]	D. Küster, R.L. Romer, D. Tolessa, D. Zerihun, K. Bheemalingeswara, F. Melcher, and T. Oberthür, The Kenticha rare-element pegamtite, Ethiopia:internal differntiation, U-Pb age and Ta mineralization, Miner. Deposita, 44(2009), p. 723.
[14]	E.J. Kim, S.Y. Kim, D.H. Moon, and S.M. Koh, Fractionation and rare-element mineralization of kenticha pegmatite, Southern Ethiopia, Econ. Environ. Geol., 46(2013), No. 5, p. 375.
[15]	P. Černý and T.S. Ercit, The classification of granitic pegmatites revisited, Can. Mineral., 43(2005), No. 6, p. 2005.
[16]	M.S. Mohammedyasin, Geology, geochemistry and geochronology of the Kenticha rare metal granite pegmatite, Adola Belt, southern Ethiopia:a review, Int. J. Geosci., 8(2017), p. 46.
[17]	S. Tadesse and D. Zerihun, Composition, fractionation trend and zoning accretion of the columbite-tantalite group of minerals in the Kenticha rare-metal field (Adola, southern Ethiopia), J. Afr. Earth Sci., 23(1996), No. 3, p. 411.
[18]	R. Burt, Beneficiation of tantalum ore-how it is achieved and could it be better?[in] Proceedings of the 125th TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, Anaheim, CA, 1996, p. 17.
[19]	M. Nete, W. Purcell, and J.T. Nel, Separation and isolation of tantalum and niobium from tantalite using solvent extraction and ion exchange, Hydrometallurgy, 149(2014), p. 31.
[20]	T.A. Theron, Quantification of Tantalum in Series of Tantalum-Containing Compounds[Dissertation], University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, 2010, p. 88.
[21]	O.M. El-Hussaini and M.A. Mahdy, Sulfuric acid leaching of Kab Amiri niobium-tantalum bearing minerals, Central Eastern Desert, Egypt, Hydrometallurgy, 64(2001), No. 3, p. 219.
[22]	X.H. Wang, S.L. Zhang, H.B. Xu, and Y. Zhang, Dissolution behaviors of Ta₂O₅, Nb₂O₅ and their mixture in KOH and H₂O system, Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 20(2010), No. 10, p. 2006.
[23]	O.M. EL-Husaini and M.N. EL-Hazek, Removal of radioactive elements from niobium and tantalum ores, Eur. J. Miner. Process. Environ. Prot., 5(2005), No. 1, p. 7.
[24]	M. Nete, F. Koko, T. Theron, W. Purcell, and J.T. Nel, Primary beneficiation of tantalite using magnetic separation and acid leaching, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 21(2014), No. 12, p. 1153.
[25]	O.M. El-Hussaini and M.A. Mahdy, Extraction of niobium and tantalum from nitrate and sulfate media by using MIBK, Miner. Process. Extr. Metall. Rev., 22(2010), p. 633.
[26]	D.A.R. Mackay and G.J. Simandl, Niobium and tantalum:Geology, markets, and supply chains,[in] Symposium on Critical and Strategic Materials, Victoria, British Columbia, 2015, p. 13.
[27]	M.J. Kabangu and P.L. Crouse, Separation of niobium and tantalum from Mozambican tantalite by ammonium bifluoride digestion and octanol solvent extraction, Hydrometallurgy, 129-130(2012), p. 151.
[28]	M. Nete, W. Purcell, E. Snyders, J.T. Nel, and G. Beukes, Characterization and alternative dissolution of tantalite mineral samples from Mozambique, J. South Afr. Inst. Min. Metall., 112(2011), No. 12, p. 1079.
[29]	X.H. Wang, S.L. Zheng, H.B. Xu, and Y. Zhang, Leaching of niobium and tantalum from a low-grade ore using a KOH roast-water leach system, Hydrometallurgy, 98(2009), No. 3-4, p. 219.
[30]	H.M. Zhou, S.L. Zheng, Y. Zhang, and D.Q. Yi, A kinetic study of the leaching of a low-grade niobium-tantalum ore by concentrated KOH solution, Hydrometallurgy, 80(2005), No. 3, p. 170.
[31]	D.A.R. Mackay and G.J. Simandl, Geology, market and supply chain of niobium and tantalum-a review, Miner. Deposita, 49(2014), p.1025.

Relative Articles

Cited By

Proportional views

数据统计

姓名
邮箱
手机号码
标题
留言内容
验证码

留言板

数据统计

分享

计量

Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores

中文摘要

Alternative beneficiation of tantalite and removal of radioactive oxides from Ethiopian Kenticha pegmatite-spodumene ores

Abstract

References

数据统计

Catalog