Mining of monazite (GOI response in Lok Sabha on 30 Nov. 2011)
Thorium is obtainable from several placer deposit complexes of Manavalakurichi including sands called Monazite and Ilmenite. These reserves should be conserved and protected by GOI to further Thorium fuel cycle as part of the nation's nuclear doctrine and energy security:
“Heavy mineral deposits often contain relatively high levels of radioactive elements (thorium and uranium in particular). It is difficult to obtain clean separation of ilmenite and monazite (the main impurity mineral containing radioactive elements), and physical intergrowths of the two minerals are, in fact, not uncommon. As a result, ilmenite concentrates obtained from such deposits often contain high levels of thorium and uranium.” Source: NELL, J. Thorium in high-titania slag. The 6th International Heavy Minerals Conference ‘Back to Basics’, The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2007. Thorium in high-titania slag by J. NELL Mintek (now at Hatch) in: Heavy Minerals, 2007
http://www.saimm.co.za/Conferences/HMC2007/007-14_Nell.pdf
Thorium resource of Kollam:
[quote]Kerala Minerals and Metals (KMML), a Government of Kerala undertaking located on the beaches of Shankaramangalam (Chavara), produces high-grade chemical compounds of titanium such as titanium dioxide pigment, hafnium ore, sillimanite and monazite. These chemicals are used in paints, welding electrodes, ceramics and foundries.
Women at a small-scale coir (coconut fiber) spinning unit at Kollam
Indian Rare Earths Limited, a Government of India undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy which incorporated on 18 August 1950, has four production plants: Minerals Divisions at Chavara and Manavalakurichi and an OSCOM and Rare Earths Division at Aluva. IREL is a pioneer in the mining and separation of heavy minerals (such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, garnet and monazite) from sand.[34] IREL also conducts research and development in mining and minerals.[unquote]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollam_district
The reply given by the GOI in Lok Sabha is shocking.
"NATURAL OCCURRENCES
Thorium is a very common element in nature. It occurs in Earth’s crust, statistically, with three to four times the abundance of uranium, and approximately as abundantly as lead. Thorium is generally very well distributed, occurring at 10 parts per million roughly homogeneously throughout the crust. However, it also occurs in high concentrations in various mineral settings around the globe....
"Monazite is a lanthanide phosphate found in granites, syenites, pegmatites, quartz-pebble conglomerate sand stones, fluviatile and beach placers. In essence, the concentrations are accumulated at the shores or current or ancient oceans. These types of deposits are nearly always at surface, and are associated with titanium oxide materials, such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon, as they are in India, Australia, southern Africa and eastern USA." http://thorium1.com/thorium101/natural-occurrences.html
From this source, it is clear that ilmenite, rutile and zircon (in addition to monazite) are also mineral complexes (placer deposits) which contain thorium. Given the varying percentages of recovery of thorium from mineral sand complexes such as those in Manavalakurichi, Aluva, Chavara and Orissa Sand Complex, GOI should ensure that thorium reserves of about 300,000 tonnes are conserved and protected, since these reserves constitute 30% of world's estimated reserves of this strategic mineral.
Kalyanaraman
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1531
TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.11.2011
MINING OF MONAZITE
1531. SHRI KODIKKUNNIL SURESH:
SHRI D.B. CHANDRE GOWDA:
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:
(a) the quantum of monazite being exported to other countries;
(b) whether some of our beaches from where sand is exported to other countries contain
monazite and thorium;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the companies which have been given the contract for mining beach sand
do not have the technical know-how to separate thorium from monazite;
(e) if so, the details thereof;
(f) whether the companies mining beach sand have violated the norms of Atomic
Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in regard to setting up of mineral separations
plants; and
(g) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS
AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY
(a) Monazite is being exported only by Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL), a public
sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy. The quantum of
monazite exported by IREL in the last three years are given below:
Year Quantity (tones)
2010-11 5
2009-10 2
2008-09 5
(b) Beach sands contain heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet,
sillimanite, zircon and monazite (which is radioactive and a source of thorium).
Ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, sillimanite and zircon are separated from beach
sands and these individual heavy minerals free of monazite are being exported.
As per the latest notification of Department of Atomic Energy vide ref. S.O.61(E)
dated January 20, 2006, these heavy minerals are delisted from the prescribed
substances list and hence for the handling of these minerals licence from
Department of Atomic Energy under the Atomic Energy (Working of the Mines,
Minerals and Handling of Prescribed Substance) Rules, 1984 is not required.
However, licence under the Atomic Energy Act is still required for handling / export
of monazite and Thorium, which are prescribed substances. This Department has
not given any licences for export of beach sand as such.
(c) Answered in (b) above.
(d) Consequent to de-listing of ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon etc. from the list of prescribed
substances, no licences or permission are required from DAE for these
substances. However, under the guidelines framed by the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board (AERB) individual processors of beach sand have to separate
and safely keep the monazite content of such sand. No individual or entity is
permitted to process monazite in any manner without a licence from DAE. Further
no licences have been given to any private party to process monazite and
separate thorium.
(e) Same as (d) above
(f) No, Sir.
(g) Not applicable.
*http://www.dae.gov.in/parlqa/2011/winter2011/lsus1531_301111.pdf
“Heavy mineral deposits often contain relatively high levels of radioactive elements (thorium and uranium in particular). It is difficult to obtain clean separation of ilmenite and monazite (the main impurity mineral containing radioactive elements), and physical intergrowths of the two minerals are, in fact, not uncommon. As a result, ilmenite concentrates obtained from such deposits often contain high levels of thorium and uranium.” Source: NELL, J. Thorium in high-titania slag. The 6th International Heavy Minerals Conference ‘Back to Basics’, The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2007. Thorium in high-titania slag by J. NELL Mintek (now at Hatch) in: Heavy Minerals, 2007
http://www.saimm.co.za/Conferences/HMC2007/007-14_Nell.pdf
Thorium resource of Kollam:
[quote]Kerala Minerals and Metals (KMML), a Government of Kerala undertaking located on the beaches of Shankaramangalam (Chavara), produces high-grade chemical compounds of titanium such as titanium dioxide pigment, hafnium ore, sillimanite and monazite. These chemicals are used in paints, welding electrodes, ceramics and foundries.
Women at a small-scale coir (coconut fiber) spinning unit at Kollam
Indian Rare Earths Limited, a Government of India undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy which incorporated on 18 August 1950, has four production plants: Minerals Divisions at Chavara and Manavalakurichi and an OSCOM and Rare Earths Division at Aluva. IREL is a pioneer in the mining and separation of heavy minerals (such as ilmenite, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, garnet and monazite) from sand.[34] IREL also conducts research and development in mining and minerals.[unquote]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kollam_district
The reply given by the GOI in Lok Sabha is shocking.
"NATURAL OCCURRENCES
Thorium is a very common element in nature. It occurs in Earth’s crust, statistically, with three to four times the abundance of uranium, and approximately as abundantly as lead. Thorium is generally very well distributed, occurring at 10 parts per million roughly homogeneously throughout the crust. However, it also occurs in high concentrations in various mineral settings around the globe....
"Monazite is a lanthanide phosphate found in granites, syenites, pegmatites, quartz-pebble conglomerate sand stones, fluviatile and beach placers. In essence, the concentrations are accumulated at the shores or current or ancient oceans. These types of deposits are nearly always at surface, and are associated with titanium oxide materials, such as ilmenite, rutile and zircon, as they are in India, Australia, southern Africa and eastern USA." http://thorium1.com/thorium101/natural-occurrences.html
From this source, it is clear that ilmenite, rutile and zircon (in addition to monazite) are also mineral complexes (placer deposits) which contain thorium. Given the varying percentages of recovery of thorium from mineral sand complexes such as those in Manavalakurichi, Aluva, Chavara and Orissa Sand Complex, GOI should ensure that thorium reserves of about 300,000 tonnes are conserved and protected, since these reserves constitute 30% of world's estimated reserves of this strategic mineral.
Kalyanaraman
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1531
TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.11.2011
MINING OF MONAZITE
1531. SHRI KODIKKUNNIL SURESH:
SHRI D.B. CHANDRE GOWDA:
Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:
(a) the quantum of monazite being exported to other countries;
(b) whether some of our beaches from where sand is exported to other countries contain
monazite and thorium;
(c) if so, the details thereof;
(d) whether the companies which have been given the contract for mining beach sand
do not have the technical know-how to separate thorium from monazite;
(e) if so, the details thereof;
(f) whether the companies mining beach sand have violated the norms of Atomic
Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in regard to setting up of mineral separations
plants; and
(g) if so, the details thereof and the corrective steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS
AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (SHRI V. NARAYANASAMY
(a) Monazite is being exported only by Indian Rare Earth Limited (IREL), a public
sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy. The quantum of
monazite exported by IREL in the last three years are given below:
Year Quantity (tones)
2010-11 5
2009-10 2
2008-09 5
(b) Beach sands contain heavy minerals such as ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet,
sillimanite, zircon and monazite (which is radioactive and a source of thorium).
Ilmenite, rutile, leucoxene, garnet, sillimanite and zircon are separated from beach
sands and these individual heavy minerals free of monazite are being exported.
As per the latest notification of Department of Atomic Energy vide ref. S.O.61(E)
dated January 20, 2006, these heavy minerals are delisted from the prescribed
substances list and hence for the handling of these minerals licence from
Department of Atomic Energy under the Atomic Energy (Working of the Mines,
Minerals and Handling of Prescribed Substance) Rules, 1984 is not required.
However, licence under the Atomic Energy Act is still required for handling / export
of monazite and Thorium, which are prescribed substances. This Department has
not given any licences for export of beach sand as such.
(c) Answered in (b) above.
(d) Consequent to de-listing of ilmenite, Rutile, Zircon etc. from the list of prescribed
substances, no licences or permission are required from DAE for these
substances. However, under the guidelines framed by the Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board (AERB) individual processors of beach sand have to separate
and safely keep the monazite content of such sand. No individual or entity is
permitted to process monazite in any manner without a licence from DAE. Further
no licences have been given to any private party to process monazite and
separate thorium.
(e) Same as (d) above
(f) No, Sir.
(g) Not applicable.
*http://www.dae.gov.in/parlqa/2011/winter2011/lsus1531_301111.pdf
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