Thesis (MEng (Metallurgical Engineering))-University of Pretoria, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (B.S.)--University of Missouri, School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1902. / C. E. Martinez determined to be Carlos E. Martinez from "1874-1999 MSM-UMR Alumni Directory". The entire thesis text is included in file. Typescript. Illustrated by authors. Title from title screen of thesis/dissertation PDF file (viewed October 29, 2008)

Thèse (D.R.Min.)--Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1994. / Document électronique également accessible en format PDF. CaQCU

Thesis (M.Sc.) -- Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1979. / Bibliography : leaves 146-155. Also available online.

Thesis (MSc.(Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Jacinta Enzweiler / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Geociências / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-20T20:00:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Sampaio_GeraldoMagelaSantos_M.pdf: 1740743 bytes, checksum: a50f7ee9a4af758802525fa1e35265d5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: As formações ferríferas são rochas sedimentares que foram depositadas essencialmente no Pré-cambriano. Durante este período, a Terra passou por diversas mudanças que afetaram os estilos de deposição dessas formações. A fração em massa de elementos-traço, especialmente os elementos terras raras (ETR), pode ser usada para o estudo da gênese dessas rochas e no entendimento da evolução atmosférica, da composição química dos oceanos e do aparecimento da vida na Terra. A determinação dos ETR em formações ferríferas apresenta algumas especificidades. As frações em massa desses elementos tendem a ser baixas, não há muitas informações disponíveis sobre métodos específicos para a dissolução das amostras e a ausência de materiais de referência (MR) com valores de ETR certificados dificulta a validação dos procedimentos analíticos. Procedimentos de dissolução que empregam quatro ácidos (HF, HNO3, HCl e HClO4), sem e com pressão (bomba), foram testados e aprimorados durante o estudo para aumentar sua eficiência quando aplicados a amostras de formações ferríferas. A dissolução após a sinterização com peróxido de sódio também foi empregada em algumas etapas do estudo. A determinação de 28 elementos-traço foi realizada por Espectrometria de Massas com Plasma Indutivamente Acoplado (ICP-MS) equipado com cela de colisão, empregando parâmetros instrumentais e de otimização do sinal adequados para realizar as medições dos elementos de interesse. A validação dos métodos foi realizada por comparação com valores publicados na literatura para os MR internacionais de formações ferríferase FER-1, FER-2, FER-3, FER-4 e IF-G. Os métodos de dissolução ácida apresentaram características de desempenho, como coeficiente de variação e limites de detecção, apropriados ao uso pretendido dos resultados. Os dados baseados no procedimento de digestão ácida na ausência de pressão apresentaram médias de fração em massa mais baixas que os da bomba para alguns elementos nos MR FER-3 e FER-4, indicando dissolução incompleta desses materiais naquelas condições. Os valores médios obtidos após a sinterização das amostras foram mais baixos do que os das digestões ácidas, mas o perfil dos ETR não se alterou de forma significativa. Após a validação dos métodos, um material de controle de qualidade (MCQ) da matriz foi preparado, a partir de uma amostra de itabirito friável proveniente do Quadrilátero Ferrífero (MG), escolhida dentre amostras previamente analisadas. Cerca de 6,5 kg da amostra foram pulverizados, homogeneizados e divididos em 64 potes, cada um com 100 g. O MCQ apresentou homogeneidade satisfatória, isto é, variância composicional estatisticamente insignificante em relação à variância dos resultados analíticos obtidos em condições de repetitividade. O MRC BRP-1 foi utilizado durante a caracterização do MCQ para assegurar a rastreabilidade metrológica do material produzido / Abstract: Iron formations are sedimentary rocks mostly deposited during the Precambrian. During that period, the Earth has passed through several changes that affected the types of deposition of these formations. The mass fraction of trace elements, especially the rare earth elements (REE), can be used to study the genesis of these rocks and to understand the atmospheric evolution, the chemical composition of oceans and the appearance of life on Earth. The determination of REE in such matrices shows some specificity. The mass fractions of these elements tend to be low, little information is available on specific methods for sample dissolution and the absence of reference materials (RM) with certified values of REE hinders proper validation of the analytical procedures. Methods of dissolution based on four acids (HF, HNO3, HCl and HClO4), with and without pressure (bomb), were tested and improved during the study to increase their efficiency when applied to iron formation samples. The dissolution of samples after sintering with sodium peroxide was also used in some steps of the study. The determination of twenty eight trace elements in iron formation samples was carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) equipped with collision cell, using optimized signal conditions and instrumental parameters to measure the elements of interest. The methods validation was carried out by comparison with published values of the international iron formation RM FER-1, FER-2, FER-3, FER-4 and IF-G. The acid digestion methods showed performance characteristics, such relative standard deviation and detection limits, suitable for the intended use of the results. The results for some elements in RM FER-3 and FER-4 presented lower mean mass fractions for digestions perfomed without pressure, compared to those with pressure (bomb) indicating an incomplete dissolution in the first situation. The mean mass fractions obtained by the sintering procedure were lower than those of acid digestions, but the normalized patterns of REE did not change significantly. After method validation, a quality control reference material (QCM) was prepared from a sample of friable Itabirito, from Quadrilátero Ferrífero (MG), chosen among previously analyzed samples. About 6,5 kg from the sample was pulverized, homogenized and divided, resulting in sixty-four bottles of 100 g each. The QCM showed sufficient homogeneity, i.e. the compositional variance is statistically insignificant compared to the analytical variance, obtained under repeatability conditions. The certified reference material BRP-1 was used during the characterization of the QCM to ensure the metrological traceability to the results of the produced material / Mestrado / Geologia e Recursos Naturais / Mestre em Geociências

M.Sc. (Geology) / The Sishen Iron Ore Mine is situated in the Northern Cape Province at the northern extremity of the Maremane dome. The stratigraphy of the Sishen Iron Ore Mine consist of carbonate rocks of the Campbellrand Subgroup which are unconformably overlain by the Wolhaarkop Breccia. The Wolhaarkop Breccia grades upwards through a shaly unit into an succession of iron formation known as the Manganore Iron Formation. The positive correlation of the Manganore Iron Formation with the Asbesheuwels Subgroup, of which it represents the oxidized equivalent, assigns a collapse origin to the Wolhaarkop Breccia. The siliciclastic Gamagara Formation overlies the Manganore Iron Formation unconformably. The unconformity cuts through the Manganore stratigraphy into the carbonate rocks of the Campbellrand Subgroup. The Gamagara Formation consist of a basal unit of conglomerates and argillite of varying thickness in the form of stacked upward fining alluvial cycles. These are overlain by two well 'developed upward coarsening progradational shale to quartzite deltaic cycles. A massive argillite unit marks the upper contact of the Gamagara Formation with the overlying Makganyene and Ongeluk Formations. This unit represents a milonite along a thrust plane and the Ongeluk lava and parts of the Makganyene diamictite were thrusted over the Gamagara Formation which is a correlative of the Mapedi Formation of the 01ifantshoek Group...

M.Sc. / Biofuels have the potential to reduce a country’s dependence on imported oil, to ensure diversity of energy sources, to increase the availability of renewable energy sources and to address global environmental issues. In recognition of the potential benefits of the production and use of biofuels, the Department of Minerals and Energy released the Draft Biofuels Industrial Strategy in December 2006 with the aim to increase the use of biofuels in South Africa to replace 4.5% of conventional transport fuels by 2013. However, there are several barriers that need to be overcome before South Africa can establish a large-scale biofuel industry to achieve the DME’s biofuel target. This includes environmental barriers, such as the availability of land for the cultivation of biofuel feedstocks and potential threats to food security. This study focuses on these environmental barriers and aims to determine the potential for bioethanol production from maize in South Africa to 2013. To this purpose, a bioethanol potential model is developed to simulate the potential for bioethanol production from maize in South Africa between 2008 and 2013. The model incorporates four key elements that all impact on the availability of maize for bioethanol production, namely: maize demand; maize supply; the demand for maize as biomaterial; and the available land area for the cultivation of maize. The study makes further use of the scenario planning method to determine the potential for bioethanol production from maize in South Africa. Four unique bioethanol potential scenarios are designed and simulated within the bioethanol potential model developed for this purpose. Each scenario plays out a different Abstract storyline for the future social, economic and natural environment that will impact on the availability of maize for bioethanol production. The results of the bioethanol potential scenario simulations show that South Africa will be able to produce enough maize to meet the DME’s biofuel target of 1.2 billion liters of bioethanol for all scenarios between 2009 and 2010. From 2011 onwards, the bioethanol potential decreases below the DME’s target value in both the worst case and rapid change scenarios. The study concludes that the production of bioethanol from maize in South Africa will have various social, economic and environmental consequences for the country’s agricultural sector. The depletion of domestic maize supplies will seriously threaten food security and consequently, increase the country’s dependence on maize imports. This will not only affect the country’s maize producing regions, but spread throughout South Africa as the demand for agriculturally productive land for maize production increases. Domestic food security is therefore at risk and South Africa will have to resort to other energy technologies to achieve a sustainable and renewable energy future for road transport.

M.Sc. / An estimated 98% of the iron ore exploited in the world is used in the manufacture of pig iron and steel, which are non-substitutable backbones of modern society. The rapid increase of world steel production over the last few years, driven mainly by economic growth in China, have required an equal increase in iron ore production, from 876.8 Mt in 2006 to 948.1 Mt in 2007. The increased rate of exploitation of iron ores has resulted in a rapid depletion of known high-grade iron ore deposits. This, in turn, has led to a dramatic increase of prices, especially for highly thought-after high-grade lumpy iron ores from BIF-hosted deposits. In the absence of any major new discoveries of high-grade iron ore deposits, mining companies have turned to lower-grade materials to assess their beneficiation potential to expand their production base and beneficiation capacity, in order to satisfy future demand. Within this existing framework, this research project was initiated to assess the beneficiation potential of low-grade lumpy stockpiles and high-grade iron ore fines at Beeshoek Iron Ore Mine, owned by Assmang Ltd. The mine is located 7 km West of Postmasburg, in the Northern Cape Province of South-Africa, and processes currently 5.60 million tons of uncontaminated run-of-mine ore per annum. Crushing, washing, classification and jigging are used to produce 2.12 million tons of (37.8% of ROM) of lumpy iron ore product. The balance (3.48 million tons) is currently not used, but is stockpiled or discarded. This includes 0.90 million tons (16.2% of ROM) of ore-grade fines, 0.86 million tons (15% of ROM) of tailings sludge and 1.74 million tons (31% of ROM) of lumpy low grade material. Both ore-grade fines and low-grade lumpy material are discarded separately; they are currently considered as waste. The low-grade lumpy is stockpiled while the fines are used to fill-in mined-out open pits. The evaluation of the beneficiation potential of these two material streams is the main goal of this study. Representative samples were collected from ore-grade fines and the current stockpile for low-grade lumpy material. Hand sorting and lithological categorization of the lumpy material facilitated petrographic and mineralogical studies using light and scanning electron microscopy, as well as X-ray powder diffraction studies. Major and trace element geochemistry were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and titrimetry (to accurately determine the concentration of iron). Whole rock densities were determined for all lithotypes recognized in the low-grade lumpy material. The grain size distribution was determined for the lumpy materials by actual measurement of the diameter of a representative number of particles, and for fines by sieve analysis. Fines beneficiation tests were conducted using spiral separation and simple classification tests. Washing was used as additional beneficiation method on the fines.

M.Sc. / The Mesoarchean Witwatersrand and Pongola Supergroups of South Africa are the oldest, well preserved supracratonic successions worldwide. Various banded iron formation (BIF) and iron-rich mudstone units occur within the West Rand Group of the Witwatersrand Supergroup and the Mozaan Group of the Pongola Supergroup. A granular iron formation (GIF) occurs in a single unit in the Nconga Formation of the Mozaan Group. The Witwatersrand Supergroup and Mozaan Group have been lithostratigraphically correlated and are interpreted to have been part of the same sedimentary basin. The studied BIF units occur in two associations: shale-associated and diamictiteassociated BIF. The GIF seem to have been deposited in shallower environments with greater hydrodynamic activity. The iron-rich mudstone shows a similar stratigraphic setting to that of the shale-associated BIF. The lithostratigraphic setting of the Witwatersrand-Mozaan basin BIFs are similar to what is seen for Superior-type ironformations, with the mudstones and associated BIFs marking marine transgressions. Various mineralogical facies of BIF were identified, including oxide, carbonate and silicate facies BIF, as well as mixed facies between these end members. The GIF is a unique facies and shows abundant petrographic evidence for biological activity. The iron-rich mudstone has been subdivided into iron-silicate rich, magnetite-bearing, carbonate-bearing, magnetite-carbonate-bearing and garnet-bearing subtypes. BIF, GIF and iron-rich mudstone have been subjected to lower greenschist facies metamorphism with some occurences of localized contact metamorphism. The abundance of magnetite shows that oxidation played an important part in BIF deposition, whereas the occurrence of 12C-enriched iron-rich carbonates suggests post depositional reduction of the deposited oxidized iron-rich minerals by organic matter. Al-bearing minerals are rare in the BIFs xxi and abundant in the iron-rich mudstones. Apatite and rare earth element (REE)- phosphates occur throughout. The major element geochemistry shows an inverse proportionality for Fe and Si in all the studied samples. BIFs show slightly higher Fe- and lower Si- and Al-concentrations compared to iron-rich mudstones which show higher Si- and Al- and lower Feconcentrations. The studied BIFs show major element geochemical attributes intermediate to those of Superior- and Algoma-type iron-formations. Provenance studies on some of the iron-rich mudstones illustrate that they were sourced from a mixture of mafic and felsic sources. The rare earth element (REE) geochemistry suggests strong hydrothermal input into the units, and positive correlation with the Fe-concentrations suggests that the Fe was introduced by high temperature hydrothermal fluids. The majority of the REEs are hosted by apatite and the REE-phosphates monazite and xenotime. The REEs were reconcentrated into these phosphates during diagenesis. A comparison of the studied lithostratigraphically correlatable units between the Witwatersrand Supergroup and Mozaan Group makes it possible to construct a depositional model for basin-wide BIF deposition in the Witwatersrand-Mozaan basin. Shale-associated BIF was deposited during the peak of transgression when reduced Ferich hydrothermal bottom waters were introduced into shallow ocean water that was either oxygenated or filled with anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria. Diamictite-associated BIF, in contrast, was deposited during interglacial periods when the melting of glacial ice introduced sunlight, nutrients and oxygen to the reduced, hydrothermally influenced Ferich ocean water. GIF was probably deposited in shallow, above wave base waters cut off from clastic input, and then washed into deeper depositional environments. Iron-rich mudstone was deposited in a similar setting as the shale-associated BIF, but in environments that were not completely cut off from detrital influx. The study shows that it is impossible to construct a general depositional model for Precambrian BIFs, since the lithostratigraphic and depositional settings vary between different examples of BIF.