Vanadium-Bearing Titaniferous Iron Ores from the Rooiwater, Usushwana, Mambula, Kaffirskraal, and the Trompsburg Igneous Complexes

摘要

The mineralogy and chemistry of some vanadium-bearing titaniferous iron ores from a number of smaller South African basic intrusions are reported, and an assessment is given of the potential of these ores for use as raw materials in the production of iron, high-titania slag, and vanadium pentoxide. The ores from each complex can be distinguised readily on the basis of their chemical composition and textural relations. The Rooiwater Complex represents the most promising area. It contains two layers of titaniferous magnetite, each approximately 8 m thick, in the eastern part, the lowest seam being chemically similar to the economically important main layer of titaniferous magnetite in the Bushveld Complex. The ores are silicate-poor and consist largely of multi-phase titaniferous-magnetite grains containing modified ilmenite and pleonaste micro-intergrowths. The coarse grain size of these ores favours beneficiation, and they can be partially treated to yield ilmenite concentrates and low-titania magnetite fractions in which the content of vanadium pentoxide is higher than that in the original ores. The Mambula ores are silicate-rich and would require extensive beneficiation. The Kaffirskraal ores consist of multi-phase grains of titaniferous magnetite containing crystallographically oriented ilmenite, ulvospinel, and pleonaste micro-intergrowths. Minor coarser-grained ilmenite is also present. The Usushwana ores are texturaly similar but contain abundant lamellar ilmenite in place of the ulvospinel. The ores from these two complexes cannot be beneficiated by conventional ore-dressing techniques, and would require direct metallurgical treatment for the recovery of iron, titania, and vanadium pentoxide. (Atomindex citation 12:594646)