Ilmenite
| What is Ilmenite? Ilmenite is Iron Titanium Oxide (FeTiO3) Oxide Group; hardness 5.6; specific gravity 4.5-4.7.
Ilmenite is mined for Titanium hardness 4; specific gravity 4.4 |
- picture of resource -
|
|||||||||||||
| Where is it found?
How and when was it deposited? It is believed that the ilmenite in Tennessee originated in plutonic rocks in the Unaka Mountains in Cocke and Carter Counties. Some ilmenite is found there, but it is hard to extract. Ilmenite, which is chemically stable, survived erosion and has been deposited in the Cretaceous McNairy sands of west Tennessee |
|
|||||||||||||
| What are its uses? A white pigment (as oxide), medical devices, jewelry, aerospace alloys and military armor. It has been recently discovered that ilmenite sands can be used to filter out heavy metal and radioactive pollution. | ||||||||||||||
| History of the exploitation of the resource. Ilmenite has never been mined in Tennessee | ||||||||||||||
| How is the resource mined and processed? Ilmenite is processed by being heated and leached with hydrochloric acid. | ||||||||||||||
| Impact of use of the resource on the environment
Mining, processing and use of natural resources can have harmful effects on the environment. What are these effects? Can the harmful effects be avoided? Do the benefits of using the resources outweigh the risks? |
||||||||||||||
