Determination of Work Index of Gyel-Bukuru Columbite Ore in Plateau State, Nigeria

Determination of the work index of Gyel-Buruku columbite ore sample in Plateau state, Nigeria, was investigated. The sample of the columbite ore was sourced from Gyel village in Jos East Local Government Area of Plateau state, Nigeria. The “reference ores (granites)” samples were sourced from Jiche and Gurum villages of Plateau state respectively. The reference ores and columbite ore of known weights were ground and pulverized. 80% passing size for the columbite ore, Jiche and Gurum granites samples was obtained at 100 μm sieve size for the feeds and products respectively. The work indexes of reference ores i.e. Jiche and Gurum granites were used to calculate the work index of the Gyel columbite ore sample. The values of 3.42 kWh/ton and 2.72 kWh/ton were obtained respectively for the two different reference granites ores samples used and 3.07 kWh/ton was calculated as their average and determined as the value of the work index of the Gyel-Bukuru columbite ore sample. This work index value obtained for the Gyel-Buruku columbite ore sample lies favourably within the work indexes of 3.94 - 10.81 kWh/ton for columbite minerals sighted in the literatures.

Comparative Beneficiation Study of Gyel Columbite Ore Using Double Stage (Magnetic-to-Magnetic and Magnetic-to-Gravity) Separation Techniques

The comparative beneficiation study of Gyel columbite ore using double stage (magnetic-to-magnetic and magnetic-to-gravity), located in the vicinity of Gyel village in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State to metallurgical grade was carried out. The ore sample was sourced from 20 different pits each 1.5 × 1.5 × 2 meters deep, 50 meter apart covering a land of 50 hectares. The samples from the 20 pits were crushed, pulverized and homogenized. 200 kg of the homogenized ore sample was used for the experiment and laboratory works. Chemical characterization of the ore sample was carried out using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XFR). Single and double stage concentration tests using magnetic and gravity methods were carried out respectively. The results of the chemical analysis of ore sample reveal that, Pit 1 contains 12.26% Nb2O5, 21.6% Fe2O3, 36.1% SiO2;Pit 20 contains 4.78% Nb2O5, 19.34% Fe2O3, 23.96% SiO2 and the homogenized sample contains 6.71% Nb2O5, 23.1% Fe2O3 and 27.0% SiO2 averagely. The liberation study reveals that the niobium of ore can be liberated over a range of sieve size fractions of -355 + 63 μm for the coarse and -63 + 45 μm for the fine particle size fractions. On the basis of this, sieve size fractions of -1400 + 355 μm (as coarse size), -355 + 90 μm (as medium size) and -90 + 45 μm (as fine size) were used for the concentration tests. The concentration test using the double stage processes revealed that the air-floatation followed by rapid magnetic method produced a concentrate with the highest percent assay of 54.48% Nb2O5 with a recovery of 96.53% followed by the rapid-to-rapid magnetic method which produced a concentrate assaying 52.12% Nb2O5 with a recovery of 86.96%. These results meet and surpass the 50% Nb2O5 stipulated as the acceptable metallurgical grade concentrate for niobium metal production in the literature.

Optical phonon behavior and magnetism of columbite Zn0.8Co0.2Nb2O6

Columbite Zn0.8Co0.2Nb2O6 crystals were grown by optical floating zone methods. The x-ray diffraction(XRD) was used to check the structure information of the grown Zn0.8Co0.2Nb2O6 crystal. The room temperature and temperature-dependent Raman spectra were tested to investigate the optical phonon behaviors of columbite Zn0.8Co0.2Nb2O6, which exhibited a temperature stable property. The magnetics properties of Zn0.8Co0.2Nb2O6, measured by a physical property measurement system(PPMS), were also presented in this work.

Determination of CaO in Baotou Columbite and Steel Cinder with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

The determination of CaO content in columbite and steel cinder with flame atomic absorption spectrometry is studied. EDTA+TEA is used to eliminate the interferences, in HCI media,with La as releaser. The methods of sample treatment and the CaO in remainder undissolved in acids have been conducted. The result of the determination and recovery of CaO shows that the rate of recovery is 100% ～ 102 %, R. S.D<2 %.

Secondary Recovery of Columbite from Tailing Dump in Nigerian Jos Mines Field

Millions of tons of tailing dump at Rayfield mine in Jos in North Central Plateau state of Nigeria have been found to contain large quantity of columbite. Initial attempts to recover columbite concentrates by local miners and mineral speculators from the columbite rich tailing dump failed due to the ineffective processing route employed. Using cone and quartering sampling method, 0.5 kg of the columbite tailing was obtained for sieve and chemical analyses. 50 kg of <1mm fraction of the sample was subjected to a first stage magnetic concentration in a three poles Dry High Intensity Magnetic Separator (DHMS) that separated the columbite in the third pole. The re-grind of the + 0.355 mm rougher concentrate fraction (containing interlocking columbite) to pass the sieve aperture was treated on the DHMS in the second stage. The rougher concentrate undersize and columbite pre-concentrate of the first stage magnetic separation were then gravity concentrated on the air float machine. The Rayfield tailings and final concentrate were assayed using ED-XRFS to obtain 12.5% and 69.6% Nb2O5, respectively. The recovery and separation efficiency were 77.95% and 77.88% in that order. The magnetic and gravity concentrations were found effective at 77.95% recovery for columbite from the Rayfield tailing dump. This study also provided database for optimum recovery of columbite from tailings of mining sites of similar composition.

Dielectric response of ANb_(2)O_(6)(A = Zn, Co, Mn, Ni) columbite niobates: From microwave to terahertz

In the upcoming 6-generation(6G)revolution,the achievement of low power consumption has become a key objective in research concerning terahertz devices.As an important component of passive devices,there are very few low-loss dielectric ceramics in the terahertz range.To elucidate the mechanism of loss and promote the application of microwave dielectric ceramics for future 6G technology(covering microwave and terahertz frequencies),the terahertz responses of ANb_(2)O_(6)(A=Zn,Co,Mn,and Ni)columbite niobates were studied.The influences of magnetic loss on the Qxf values in the microwave range with different transition metal ions in the A-site were reasonably analyzed.Moreover,due to the weakened magnetic relaxation properties in the terahertz range,the samples all exhibited low loss and approximate transparency,especially for MnNb_(2)O_(6) and NiNb_(2)O_(6)(tano<0.01 and absorption coefficient<10 cm^(-1) below 1.2 THz),which subverted the definition of traditional low-loss microwave dielectric ceramics.Ultimately,based on Mie theory,we designed a prototypical broadband metamaterial reflector to validate the applicability of the ANb_(2)O_(6) system in the terahertz band,which is highly important for the development of terahertz ceramic-based passive devices.

A Review of Niobium-Tantalum Separation in Hydrometallurgy

Niobium and tantalum are chemically similar and are associated with each other in nature which makes it very difficult to separate. For many years, the separation of tantalum from niobium involved the fractional crystallization of potassium heptafluorotantalate away from potassium oxypentafluoroniobate monohydrate, this method has been supplanted by solvent extraction from fluoride-containing solutions by the use of solvent extractants such as Octanol, bis(2-ethylhexyl)phosphoric acid (DEHPA), Alamine 336, methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), tri-nbutyl phosphate (TBP) or cyclohexanone. A detailed review of the various processes involved in the breakdown treatment of niobium and tantalum primary sources, extraction and separation and newer processes of extraction as well as the various technique involved were discussed.

Geology, Geochemistry and Geochronology of the Kenticha Rare Metal Granite Pegmatite, Adola Belt, Southern Ethiopia: A Review

This work reviews the geology, geochemistry and geochronology and discusses the spatial and temporal relationship of the granite pegmatite and the rare metal mineralization of the Kenticha granite pegmatite, southern Ethiopia using published and unpublished works to give a comprehensive understanding about the formation of the mineral deposit. The Kenticha rare metal pegmatite belt comprises several groups of pegmatites which show a high magmatic fractionation, regional and compositional zoning, mineralogical assemblage, and secondary alterations. The internal zonation shows high degree of evolution from the border to the core zone during crystallization and solidification of the leucogranitic to pegmatitic melt. Tantalum mineralization at Kenticha includes zoned tantalite-(Mn) and columbite-(Mn), as well as microlite, pyrochlore, uranmicrolite, and rare tapiolite, ixiolite/wodginite and Ta-bearing rutile. The tectonic setting of the Kenticha granite pegmatite in the Within Plate Granite (WPG) to syn-Collisional Granite (syn-COLG) granite and probably sourced from extreme fractionation of syn-to late tectonic granites or anatexis process of the metasedimentary rocks in the area. The emplacement of the Kenticha pegmatite was at ca. 530 Ma and temporally related to the post-collisional phase of granitic magmatism at 570 - 520 Ma, after the last tectonic stage of east African orogeny during the late stage of Gondwana assembly.