Mineral sands are primarily extracted using two distinct methods: wet mining and dry mining, each employing different equipment and techniques.
Methods of Mineral Sands Extraction
The extraction of mineral sands involves recovering valuable heavy minerals like rutile, ilmenite, zircon, and monazite from sand deposits. The chosen method depends largely on the deposit's location, depth, and the surrounding environment.
Here are the two main methods as described:
Wet Mining
Wet mining involves dredging the mineral sands from under the surface of a pond created specifically for extraction purposes. This method is typically used when the mineral sands deposit is located below the water table or can be accessed by creating a pond. The dredge floats on the pond and excavates the sand and water mixture from the bottom.
Dry Mining
Dry mining, in contrast, utilizes traditional earth moving equipment to excavate the mineral sands deposit directly from the land surface. This method is employed when the deposit is above the water table or accessible without creating a pond.
Common equipment used in dry mining includes:
- Scrapers: Used for removing overburden (topsoil and other material above the mineral sands).
- Trucks: Transport excavated material to processing plants.
- Excavators: Dig and load material into trucks.
- Front-end Loaders: scoop and move material short distances or load trucks.
These machines work together to dig up the mineral-bearing sands from the dry ground.
Here's a quick comparison of the two methods:
| Feature | Wet Mining | Dry Mining |
|---|---|---|
| Environment | Under the surface of a created pond | From the land surface |
| Primary Tool | Dredge | Traditional earth moving equipment |
| Typical Depth | Below or at the water table | Above the water table |
| Equipment | Dredges | Scrapers, Trucks, Excavators, Front-end Loaders |
Both methods aim to efficiently extract the mineral-rich sand which is then transported for further processing to separate the valuable heavy minerals.
