GM 04034 RECOVERY OF MAGNETITE-ILMENITE-HEMATITE AND ZIRCON FROM SAMPLES OF NATASHQUAN RIVER BEACH SAND (INVESTIGATION NO MD 3114) DEPAR ta OF MINES AND TECHNICAL SURVEYS MINES BRANCH CANADA Ottawa, February 28, 1956.' REPORT of the MINERAL DRESSING AND PROCESS METALLURGY DIVISION Investigation No. MD3114. NA7ASHgUAN TwP IR~~e Recovery of Magnetite I]menite-Hematite and Zircon from Samples of Natashquan River Beach Sand Submitted by the Aconi Mining Corporation, Montreal, Quebec. aassamszsssssssssQssacm os_aa®ssiQasas:asss Note: This report relates essentially to the samples as received. It shall not, nor any correspondence connected therewith, be used in part or in full as publicity or advertising matter for -~ the sale of shares in any promotion. (Copy No. ~a QUEBEC DEPARTMENT OF MINES MAY 241956 MINERAL DEPOSITS BRANCH No G M- .GANADA DEPARTMENT Mifl o BYanch • OP MINES AND TECUNIOAL SURVEYS OTTAUA February 28, 1956. REPOR T, of the •MINERAL DRESSING AND PROCESS METALLURGY DIVISION. Investigation No. MD3114. Recovery of Magnetite-Ilmenite-Hematite and Zircon from Samples of Natashquan River Beach Sand Submitted by the Aconic Mining Corporation, Montreal, Quebec. astimm=sommm====moma= Shipments: On June 1, 1955, Dr. P. J. Ensio, Director of Research, Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation, Sorel, Quebec, and Consulting Metallurgical Engineer for the Aconic Mining Corporation, brought to the Mines Branch ten pounds of a nonmagnetic tailing made from beach sand taken from the ~ 2® Aconic deposit at Natashquan, Quebec. Dr. Ensio asked that electrostatic and high intensity magnetic separation tests be made on this sample (herein designated Sample No. 1) for the purpose of recovering a high grade ilmenite-hematite concentrate. On June 16, 1955, approximately 6 tons of high grade crude sand (Sample No. 2 in this report) was shipped to the Mines Branch by the Aconic Mining Corporation. The shipment was made at the request of the Quebec Iron and Titanium Corporation who wished to obtain some high grade magnetite concentrate for heavy-media-separation tests on their ore. At a later date, Dr. Ensio asked that tests be made to recover ilmenite-hematite from the non- magnetic tailing9 and as a matter of interest the tests were extended to re- cover a zircon concentrate from the tailing of the ilmenite-hematite separation. Location o£ Propert: The Aconic Mining Corporation holds a large block of claims on the northwest shore of the Natashquan river, Natashquan and Duval townships, Saguenay Co., Quebec. The Natashquan river empties into the Gulf of St. Lawrence north of the easternmost end of Anticosti Island. Previous. Reports: A progress report on the preparation of magnetite from the 6-ton shipment of Aconic sand was issued on October 7, 1955. A letter covering the test work on the 10-lb. sample No. 1 was written on June 9, 1955. A shipment of several sand samples from the Aconic Mining Corpora- tion's Natashquan deposit was received at the Nines Branch earlier in the year 1955. Report of Investigation No. MD3066, "Magnetic° Gravity, and Electrostatic Tests on Six Samples of Titaniferous Magnetite Sand from Natashquan, Quebec, Submitted by Aconic Mining Corporation, Montreal, Quebec", dated Dec. 30, 1955, describes the test work on this earlier shipment. Analysis: Assay samples of all products made during the test work were forwarded to Dr. Ensio, who arranged for analyses to be made by commercial analysts. Summary: Magnetite Recovery (Sample No. 2) Using the Roche low intensity magnetic separator, a magnetite concentrate containing 63.7 per cent iron and 5.2 per cent titanium dioxide was obtained from sample No. 2. By cleaning this concentrate twice on the Ball-Norton separator, it was shown that this concentrate could; be upgraded to 68 to 69 per cent iron with a titanium dioxide content lowered to 1.5 to 2.0 per cent. The recovery of magnetite from sample No. 2 was 26.6 per cent of the weight of the feeds As the sample was said to be high grade sand, it is likely that this magnetite recovery is much higher than would be obtained from processing representative samples. of the deposit. IlmeniteJlemratite Recovery From both samples, by a combination of high tension electrostatic separation and high intensity magnetic separation, a concentrate containing 4 about 30 per cent titanium dioxide and 45 per cent iron was obtained. As with the magnetite, the recovery of ilinenite-hematite at 25.1 per cent of the feed weight is higher than can be expected from a representative sample. Zircon and Monazite Recovery — High intensity magnetic separation, and gravity concentration of the tailing from the ilmenite-hematite separation, resulted in the recovery of 0.11 per cent of the feed by weight in a concentrate containing ''75 to 90 per cent zircon. During the preparation of the zircon concentrate, a product was obtained which, by observation under a binocular microscope, was estimated to contain 5 per cent monazite. Semi-quantitative spectro- graphic analysis indicated that the monazite was a cerium-lanthanum phosphate with small percentages (1 to 2 per cent each) of gadolinium, thorium and yttrium. Characteristics of the Sand: Mineralogical analyses of the sand and of test products have been reported in Investigation No. MD3066. No mineralogical examination was made of the head samples from these shipments but examination of test products under the binocular microscope proved very effective for mineral identification . and for judging the efficiencies of the various separations. Some products were submitted to the Physical and Crystal Chemistry Section for identification of mineral constituents, and results were reported in a letter dated July 20, 1955, and by M.D. Test Report No. 785-CC, dated December 30, 1955. A summary of these reports is included in this report under the headings "Examination of Test Products from Shipment No. 1" (page 5 ) and "Examination of Zircon Concentrate" (page 6 ). As this is a beach sand, the samples contained only a small amount of minus 150 mesh material. The coarsest size of the sand was about 28 mesh,with a few grains ranging up to 8 mesh in size. The major metallic minerals are magnetite, hematite, ilmenite, and ilmenite. hematite intergrowths. Minor minerals which might prove of economic importance are zircon, monazite, and rutile. Gangue is represented by feldspar, garnet, and quartz. Examination of Test Products from Shipment No. 1 Samples of (a) concentrate No. 3, representative of the ilmenitem hematite fraction, (b) tailing No. 6, the garnet fraction, and (c) gangue tailing No. 8, were studied by X-ray powder diffraction and With the petro- graphic microscope with the following results: (a) Ilmenite-hematite Concentrate No. 3: This material contained 95 per cent or more of opaque mineral, much of which was seen to be moderately magnetic in an oil suspension under the microscope. This opaque fraction was shown by X-ray to be ilmenite and hematite in comparable amounts. The transparent minerals were difficult to identify in the presence of so much opaque material; however, they appeared to be typical rock silicates,including feldspars, quartz, amphibole, etc. (b) Garnet Fraction No. 6: The material contained 90 to 95 per cent of silicate minerals and 10 to 5 per cent of opaque or nearly opaque minerals (some showing magnetic properties). The transparent minerals included Almandine garnet o major amounts Green amphibole major amounts Quartz minor amounts Hypersthene minor amounts Feldspar - minor amounts (c) Gangue Tailing No. 8: This material contained no opaque minerals. The transparent materials present were found to be: Quartz - Major amounts Feldspars - Major amounts. Several types were visible, including plagioclase, microcline, orthoclase, perthite and micro-pegmatite. Heavy accessory - Moderate to small amounts. These could minerals include sphene, ratite, zircon, etc. Lamination of Zircon Concentrate - A zircon concentrate, made as described under "Details of Test Work" in this report, was examined by X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence analysis, and under the petrographic microscope, to determine the mineral constituents. The X-ray diffraction pattern showed that the major constituent was: Zircon, Zr02.Si02. Rutile (Tî02) was present as a considerable minor constituent. Apatite (Ca(f,C1)2.3Ca3(PO4)21, in minor amounts, was also detectable. The microscopic examination confirmed the above findings and, in addition, revealed the presence of small amounts of sphene (CaO.Ti02.Si02). It was interesting to observe that the zircon appeared to be of two varieties:. one was clear and colourless, and fluoresced quite strongly under the ultra violet light; the other was orange brown in colour and exhibited no such fluorescence. Both materials, however, were definitely zircons in composition. The X-ray fluorescence analysis showed the presence of significant. amounts of hafnium. This element was doubtless present in the zircon as a replacement for zirconium. DETAILS OF TEST WORK: I. Test Work on Sample No. 1. Magnetic and Electrostatic Separation - This sample was passed over the Carpco Induced Roll Separator at increasing magnetic intensities, and the products obtained were passed over the Carpco High Tension Electrostatic Separator. The flow- sheet used and final products made are as follows: Sam le ~Conc. (1) N1a~netic Se rator at 0.2A ,~ Concentrate - H.T. Separator `Nailing (2) Tailing Conc. (3) Mapinetic Separator at 1.OA .~ Concentrate m H.T. Separator ~yTailing (4) Tailing Conc. (5) Magnetic Se rator at 2.5A -) Concentrate - H.T. Separator' Tailing (6) Tailing ® H.T. Separator ,„:0 Conc. (7) ~Tailing ( 8) Results of Magnetic and Electrostatic Separation of Sample No. 1: Weight, Weight, Analysis Distribution % Product grams per cent Fe, % Ti02, % Fe TiO2 Head 4679.6 100.0 30.7* 16.5* 100.0 100.0 Concentrate (1) 591.8 12.6 50.0 25,9 20.5 19.8 Tailing (2) 123.0 2.6 19.1 4.1 1.6 0.6 Concentrate (3) 1394.7 29.8 47.5 30.4 40.2 54.8 Tailing .