1. ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands DavidFreeman WarrenBruckard,MarkPownceby LeanneSmith,GrahamSparrow PROCESSSCIENCEANDENGINEERING 5March2014

2. IntroducHon MurrayBasindepositamajorheavymineralsandsresource Theingroundwealthisnotbeingfullyu@lised TheVictorianDepartmentofStateDevelopment,Businessand Innova@oncommissionedCSIROtoconductaReviewand AssessmentofTechnologyIssuesRelatedtoProcessingofMurray BasinMineralSands Thispresenta@onisasummaryoftheresults2| Presenta@on@tle|Presentername 3. MineralSandsProvincesinAustralia N N0100010 oKilometres20EASTERN AUSTRALIAN HM PROVINCEoHistoricalproduc@on (1870s)1934- Currentproduc@on 1956-MURRAY BASIN30 oCurrentproduc@on 2001- WESTERN AUSTRALIAN HM PROVINCE o11040 oEUCLA BASINo1303| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanCurrentproduc@on 2009- o150 4. WorldProducHonofTitanates2011 17.2%33.3% Australia SouthAfrica 15.4%China India UnitedStates Others3.0% 7.7%4| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman11.7% 5. WorldProducHonofZircon2011 10.6%5.7% 2.1% 43.7%Australia SouthAfrica12.3%China India UnitedStates Others 25.6%5| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman 6. 70.0%Ilmeniteresourcesbyregion 61.1%60.0%Percentage50.0%45.0%40.0%35.7% 31.7%EDR(%)30.0%Inferred(%) 19.3%20.0%7.2%10.0%0.0% WAQldRegion6| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 7. RuHleresourcesbyregion 100.0% 89.5%90.0% 80.0%Percentage70.0%61.8%60.0% 50.0%EDR(%)40.0%Inferred(%)30.0% 20.0%20.0%17.6%10.0%5.8%4.6%0.0% WAQld Region7| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 8. 90.0%Zirconresourcesbyregion 80.1%80.0% 70.0%Percentage60.0% 50.0% 40.9%40.0% 30.0%EDR(%)29.3%Inferred(%)20.0%16.2% 10.7%10.0%4.4%0.0% WAQld Region8| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanMurrayBasin 9. MurrayBasinmineralsanddeposits Boundary of Murray Basin Extent of Loxton-Parilla Sands Unita)Coarse-grained beach placer strandline deposit Fine-grained sheetlike depositb)Broken HillMilduraMindarie2N9| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman14MELBOURNE 160 KilometresBirthday Gift Karra Castaw C ylinde ay r e rr ibe e Earl K Wemen Woornack Kulwin ck R o wn a Swan Hill Donald Drun g S th Echo BondiN03Snapper GinkgoDE AD ELA IAD ELAID EBroken Hill0160 KilometresMELBOURNE 10. MurrayBasinMineralSandDeposits StrandlineDeposits90-300msimilartoconven@onaldeposits Wemen2001-2004MBTi Iluka(Bondi,Echo) Cristal(Ginkgo,Snapper) MurrayZircon Iluka IlukaDouglas2004-2012 Pooncarie2005- Mindarie2007- Kulwin2009-2012 Woornack,Rownack&Pirro2012- WIM-typedeposits40-80mmuchnerthanconven@onaldeposits WIM50 Iluka WIM100 Iluka WIM150 AustralianZircon/Murray Zircon WIM200 JacksonASTRON WIM250 DonaldASTRON 10| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 11. MurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates a)b)CP1 mm1 mmCoarsegrain 11| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanFinegrain 12. MurrayBasinStrandlineMineralSand Deposits Project AreaMeasured resource* SizeGradeTHM(Mt)(% THM)(Mt)Wemen21.33.30.7Douglas40.29.5Pooncarie133MindarieHeavy mineral assemblage IlmeniteLeucoxeneRutileZircon(%)(%)(%)(%)Wemen51n.r.28113.8Bondi Main35.27.410.38.13.95.2Ginkgo69.9n.r.12.710.439.53.61.4Mindarie C65.26.64.919.1Ouyen21.024.05.1Woornack/ Rownack/Pirro30.1n.r17.99.2Euston35.414.25.0n.r.42211210Balranaldn.r.n.r.14.5Balranald Westn.r.n.r.10-15n.r.Twelve Milen.r.n.r.n.r.Birthday Gift49.08.019.011.0* Measured data for the project area. Total heavy mineral content. n.r. = not reported.12| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreemanDeposit 13. MurrayBasinHeavyMineralsvalues GlobalWeightedAveragePrices2011 Ilmenite US$220/t Ru@le US$870/t Zircon US$2500/t Basedonpossibleresourcesthevalueofthe heavymillionintheMurrayBasindepositsis aroundUS$200Billion13| Presenta@on@tle|DaveFreeman 14. SucHonDredgeMiningMineralSands Sandpumpedto gravitysepara@on toproducethe HMCconcentrate14| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 15. RecoveryandSeparaHonofMineralSands HeavyMineralConcentrate(HMC) Gravitysepara@onusingSpirals SeparaHonofHeavyMinerals Magne@csepara@onIlmenitemagne@cRu@leandZirconnonmagne@c Electrosta@csepara@onRu@le/leucoxeneconductorZirconnonconductor (monazite) Flota@onZirconfromru@le(ByronBay1930s) Monazite(Eneabba1970s) 15| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 16. CharacterisaHonofIlmenite Idealcomposi@onFeTiO352.7%TiO247.3%FeO(52.6%Fe2O3) Subs@tu@onMg,Mn,forFe(II)inthelajce WeatheringOxida@onofFe(II),Removalofiron,increasedTiO2content PrimaryIlmenite48-53%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]~0.5 WeatheredIlmenite55-62%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.50.6 Pseudoru@le60-70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.60.7 HydroxilianPseudoru@le~70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.850.9 Leucoxene>70%TiO2Ti/[Ti+Fe]=0.70.9 Ru@le,Anatase95%TiO216| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 17. TitaniaPigmentProcesses SulphateRoute Diges@oninconcH2SO4at150-180C,dissolu@onofresul@ngporouscake,removalofFe(SO4).7H2O,hydrolysisandprecipita@onofTiO2 FeedstockrequirementsPrimaryilmeniteorslag,highFe(II)/Fe(III)forreac@vity DeleteriousImpuri4esCr,V,Cu,Ni,Mn,Nb(colourpigment)0.1%Cr2O3limitChlorideRoute Chlorina@oninFBreactorwithreductantat900-1000C,frac@onatemetalchloridesto removeimpuri@es,oxidisepureTiCl4athightemperaturetoTiO2 FeedstockrequirementsHighTiO2content:synthe@cru@le,slag,leucoxene,ru@le Size(>100m)andDensity DeleteriousImpuri4esCa,Mg,Mn(bed)Cr,V,Mn(colour)U,Th(disposal) 0.2%Cr2O3limit 17| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 18. CurrentProcessingWestCoastIlmenites PrimaryilmenitesulphateprocessTiO2pigment 58%TiO2 92%TiO2SR 99%TiO218| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 19. BecherProcessingCondiHons WeatheredilmeniteKilnreduc@onAera@onSynthe@cru@le >58%TiO2 withcoalNH4Cl92-95%TiO2 1150CModiedBecherCondiHons removeMnSinkilnandacidleachaweraera@on SyntheHcRuHleEnhancementProcess(SREP) removeUandThBorateuxinkilnandacidleachaweraera@on19| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 20. CommercialIlmeniteUpgradingProcesses AcidLeachingwithHCl WahChangProcessReducHonandAcidLeaching BeneliteProcessreduc@ontoFe(II)withCat700-900CHClleach IshiharaProcessreduc@ontoFe(II)withCat900CH2SO4leach BecherProcessreduc@ontoFemwithCat1150CaerateNH4Cl SmelHngOperaHons SouthAfricaACsubmergedarc,DCarcplasmafurnaceswith Cat1700C UGSCanada(upgradedslag)oxidnat1025C,rednCO/H2at850C,HClleach 20| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 21. CharacterisaHonofMurrayBasinIlmenitesElectron microprob emapping 21| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 22. CharacterisaHonofMurrayBasinIlmenites Iden@ca@on of@tanate phasespresent22| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanIncreasing altera@on 23. ResultsforMurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates Removalofchromespinels MagneHcfracHonaHonScalpverymagne@cchromespinelsObtainaprimaryandaweatheredproduct feed0.94%Cr2O3primaryilmenite0.43%Cr2O3andweatheredilmenite1.45%Cr2O3FlotaHonfeed1.23%Cr2O3product0.56%Cr2O3 RoastandMagneHcSeparaHonAimtoincreasemagne@cproper@esoftheilmenitebutnotofthechromespinels ilmenite-hema@tesolidsolu@onorformmagne@teongrains Useoxidisingorreducingcondi@ons controlledbythedegreeofweatheringoftheilmenite 23| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreeman 24. ResultsforMurrayBasinIlmeniteConcentrates RemovalofchromespinelsbyroasHng CSIRORoastandMagneHcSeparaHonRoastat575-650Cfeed0.74%Cr2O3product0.09%Cr2O3TricalRoastandMagneHcSeparaHonRoastat450-600Cfeed1%Cr2O3products92%TiO2 andlowerMg,MnandCr levels)Magne@singroastat~600Cina uidisedbedreactor Austpaccondi@ons CSIROcondi@ons Tricalcondi@ons WIMcondi@ons Fluidisedbedprocesses Mursoprocess AustpacERMSprocess NewGenSRprocessModicaHons to exisHng equipment are requiredtohandlethenerminerals Dustisanissue Flota@oncanhandleneminerals Use to separate rather than concentrate the neminerals Economic reagent schemes required to be demonstrated Blowoverofnesfromauidisedbed reactorisanissue RequiredesignandtesHngofacirculaHng uidisedbedreactortopreventblowover InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon onretenHonofnesalsorequiredKiln-basedprocesses (ModiedBecher) Hybridprocess Acidsolublesynthe@cru@le RUTILETechnology Mineralconcentra@onand separa@on (Produceaheavymineralconcentrateandseparate mineralconcentrates)Primaryilmenitetoasulphate pigmentfeedstock (LowerCrlevels)27| ProcessingMurrayBasinMineralSands|DaveFreemanAustpacERMSprocessdemonstratedat pilotplantscale RequireademonstraHonplantinthe basin RequiredemonstraHonofthepossible technologiesatalargerscaleBlowoverofnesfromauidisedbedreactor isanissue Require design and tesHng of a circulaHng uidisedbedreactortopreventblowover oftheneminerals InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon onretenHonofnesalsorequired Reten@onofnesinakilnisanissueduethe highexhaustgasowsfromakiln InvesHgaHonoftheaectsofagglomeraHon and ux addiHons on losses of nes from kilnisrequired 28. ProperHesofMurrayBasinZircons RadioacHvityLevelsinZirconcanbeanissue CommerciallyrequiredtokeepU+Th