Bibliography: leaves 280-288. / xix, 288, [36] leaves, [15] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.), maps ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This study examines the medium sized sedimentary manganese deposit of Dounan, Yunnan Province of China, to determine the sedimentary environments controlling the distribution of ores and rocks, and to establish the relationships between ore mineralization and changes in the sedimentary environment. The thesis also aims to work out the sequence of events after the primary ore is formed, to determine which processes lead to secondary enrichment of the ore. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geology and Geophysics, 1994

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M.Sc. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

The Kalagadi Manganese mine in the Kuruman area of the Northern Cape Province of South Africa contains reserves of Mn ore in excess of 100Mt. Mineralization in the mine lease area is restricted within the Hotazel Formation of the Voȅlwater Subgroup, belonging to the Postmasburg Group, the upper subdivision of the Transvaal Supergroup. Surface topography is characterized by flat lying, undulation with minimal faulting and the ore are slightly metarmophosed. This study investigates the general geology of the mine, lithostratigraphic subdivision and correlation of the economic Lower Manganese Orebody (LMO) of the Kalagadi Manganese Mine in order to guide mining plan and operations once the mine is fully commissioned. At the commencement of this study, Kalagadi Manganese mine was a project under exploration with no specific geology of the mine lease area and no lithostratigraphic subdivision. The study also aimed determining the extent of lithostratigraphic correlation between the LMO economic orebodies of the Kalagadi Manganese mine with that of underground Gloria and open-pit Mamatwan mines. Four methods including petrographic microscope, Scanning electron Microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyses were applied mainly for the mineral identification, chemical composition and ore characterization of the Lower Manganese Orebody (LMO) at Kalagadi Manganese mine. The results of this study indicates the following: (1) Eleven textural distinct zones with economic zones restricted to the middle while the lower grade zones are confined to the top and bottom of the LMO; (2) The economic zones, comprising of Y, M, C and N subzones attain an average thickness of 10 m and are graded at an average of 40% Mn while the Mn/Fe ratio varies from 6 to 9; (3) The most economic zones are M and N subzones which are mostly characterized by oxidized ovoids and laminae, a characteristic applicable even to other zones of economic interest; (4) Braunite is the main mineral of the manganese ore and is often integrown with kutnahorite and other minerals (hematite, hausmannite, Mg-calcite, calcite, jacobsite, serpentine and garnet) which are present in variable amounts; (5) The Mg-rich calcite (Ca, Mg)CO3 is the second dominant manganese carbonate mineral and it corresponds to elevated MgO concentration and is often associated with marine environment. The occurrence of the Mgcalcite is not common in the manganese ore of this area except for the Mn-calcite, which was not determined by XRD analyses in this study; (6) MnO is the most abundant major oxide in the manganese ore while other major oxides present in decreasing order of abundance are CaO, SiO2, Fe2O3, and MgO. The oxides TiO2, Na2O, K2O, Al2O3, and Cr2O3 are depleted and are mostly  0.01wt% and  0.001wt% respectively while P2O5 concentrations are low ranging from 0.02wt% to 0.3wt%. The trace element concentrations of Ba, Zn and Sr in most borehole samples are slightly elevated ranging from 100ppm to 3.9% (36000pm) while Co, Cu, Ni, Y, As, Zr, V and La rarely exceed 50ppm. The enrichments of Cu, Zn, Ni, Co and V that are commonly associated with volcanogenic hydrothermal input in chemicals may reach up to 70ppm; (7) The mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of the manganese ore in the Kalagadi Manganese mine lease area are similar to that of Low-Grade Mamatwan-Type ore. The cyclicity (Banded Iron Formation ↔ Hematite lutite ↔ braunite lutite) and alternation of manganese and iron formation have been confirmed; and (8) The oxygen δ18O isotope values (18‰ to 22‰) indicate a slight influence of metamorphism of the manganese ore. No positive correlation exists between δ13C vs δ18O values and Mn vs δ13C values. Such observations indicate minimal action of organic carbon during manganese precipitation where the organic matter was oxidized and manganese content reduced. On the other hand, the manganese carbonates (CaO) are positively correlated with carbon isotope, this indicates diagenetic alteration and the involvement of biogenic carbonate during the formation of manganese carbonates. It is concluded that the lithostratigraphic subdivision at Kalagadi Manganese mine is best correlated physically, mineralogically and geochemically with that of Gloria mine operating in the Low Grade Mamatwan - Type ore while correlation with an open-pit Mamatwan mine is also valid.

D.Phil. / The Ongeluk Formation is a laterally extensive sequence of ≈2200 Ma tholeiitic basaltic andesites in the upper Griqualand West Sequence of the northern Cape Province. The stratigraphic thickness is about 500 m and the Ongeluk Formation underlies the ore-bearing strata of the Kalahari Manganese Field. The formation comprises massive lavas, pillow lavas and hyaloclastite beds in close association. These rocks were extruded under water in a marginal basin within the continental setting of the Kaapvaal Craton. The Hekpoort Basalt Formation of the Transvaal is magmatically cogenetic with the Ongeluk, having indistinguishable geochemistry and sharing a stratigraphically related hiatus in Cr values. The best age estimate for the two formations is 2193 ± 71 Ma, from Rb-Sr data of two previous workers for Hekpoort samples. The Ongeluk Formation shows a mild "regional" geochemical alteration and a profound "Kalahari" alteration beneath the Kalahari Manganese Field. Geochemical screening was used to reconstruct the magmatic composition from a selected dataset. Three stages in the development of regional alteration are ascribed to sea water-rock interaction at different temperatures, and have distinct geochemical signatures. The pervasive Kalahari alteration is characterised by a purple colouration and the decoupled alteration of alkali and high field strength elements. It is due to the development of major hydrothermal systems close to a volcanic vent which are analogous to modern mid-ocean ridge systems. A multi-system isotopic study showed that most of the isotope systems were modified by sea-floor alteration. The similarity of the 2237 ± 23 Ma Pb-Pb errorchron age with the Rb-Sr Hekpoort age reflects changes in U-Pb ratios with minor changes in Pb isotope ratio. Evidence was found in the Rb-Sr system for a minor disturbance at ≈ 1100 Ma, also reported by previous workers. This event is related to the Namaqua tectogenesis, while no isotopic evidence was found for the enigmatic ≈ 2200 to 1750 Ma Kheis orogeny, regarded as the cause of thrust faulting in the region. A genetic connection between the Ongeluk lava and the Kalahari Manganese deposits was established. The manganese ores contain evidence for both marine and hydrothermal contributions to chemical sedimentation. Negative Ce anomalies characterise an oxygenated sea in which the interaction between global oceanic and continental influences is seen. Heavy rare earth enrichment reflects volcanic hydrothermal exhalations from the Kalahari Ongeluk system. Mass balance calculations show that the entire 9 billion tons of Kalahari Manganese ore could have been derived from the Ongeluk Formation. A new model describing the origin and evolution of the Kalahari Manganese Field places a strong emphasis on the role of the syngenetic hydrothermal exhalation and upgrading.

Low-grade pyrolusite manganese ore from the Paint Bank deposits of Virginia was prepared for flotation by grinding to different degrees of fineness. The coarsest size was a 28 Tyler Mesh and the finest was 100 Tyler mesh. Under size products of the grinding were as fine as minus 200 Tyler Mesh. Flotation tests were run on the ore in a Denver Sub-A Flotation Cell of 500 gram capacity. Each run was made with an amount of ore closely approximating this capacity. The flotation reagents were added in a definite order allowing three minutes between each addition. A conditioning period of fifteen minutes followed the addition of the reagents in each case. Crude tallol was tested as a collecting agent for the manganese dioxide in the ore, with auxiliary reagents. Runs were made varying the amounts of tallol, pine oil, frother, sodium silicate silica depressor, and the hydrogen ion concentration was varied with either sulphuric acid or hydrated lime. Crude oleic acid from tallol was also tested as a collecting agent for the manganese dioxide in the ore, with auxiliary reagents. Runs were made varying the amounts of crude oleic acid, sodium silicate depressor, and the hydrogen ion concentration was varied with either sulphuric acid or hydrated lime. Sulphonated tallol was also tested as a collecting agent, but the preliminary results did not seem to justify continuing with an extensive investigation. The grade of concentrate was fairly high but the yield of concentrate was less than two per cent of the original head sample. The crude oleic acid was found to be a better collector than the crude tallol, although neither one had much effect on the grade of the concentrate obtained. Sodium silicate had no beneficial action on the grade of concentrate, and with the crude oleic acid, it had a definitely deterrent effect. It was indicated that this was due to its coating the silica with a film of manganese dioxide, thus causing the silica to be collected as a particle of manganese dioxide. The sodium silicate was found to be useful in increasing the per cent recovery of concentrate. Pine oil, while not having any affect on the grade of concentrate, was effective in increasing the yield of concentrate. In general, an acid medium was found conducive to obtaining high grade concentrates, but this was more than offset by the low yields encountered. An alkaline medium was found to give the best overall recovery of the manganese dioxide. It was also indicated that the ore should be crushed through at least 35 mesh, and preferably 65 mesh, in order to obtain the greatest recovery. / Master of Science

M.Sc. / The Mamatwan mine is situated at the most southern end of the world’s largest landbased resource of manganese, the Kalahari manganese field. The mine is operated by South African Manganese Corporation Limited (SAMANCOR) and is the largest open pit manganese mine in the world. The sedimentary manganese ore bed is interbedded with iron-formation of the Hotazel Formation of the Early Paleoproterozoic Voëlwater Subgroup of the Transvaal Supergroup. The open pit Mamatwan mine has a proven economic ore reserve of between 300 and 400Mt and produces 1.2Mt of manganese ore annually, of which 0.5Mt of ore is beneficiated and shipped through the harbour at Port Elizabeth. The remaining ore is railed to ferro-alloy plants at Meyerton and Newcastle. Carbonate-rich manganese lutite mined at the Mamatwan Mine is widely known as Mamatwan-type ore. It has a manganese content ranging from 30 – 38%. Only a small portion (15m of a total thickness of 49m) of the ore bed, containing an average of 38% Mn, is being mined and processed at present. The larger portion of the ore bed is not utilized. This study focuses on the physical and chemical characteristics of the ore bed in more detail in order to make suggestions on how to a) reduce waste by upgrading the upper parts of the lower manganese ore bed, or b) to improve the current recovery from the present economic zone. A second part of this study pays special attention to the lithostratigraphy of the lower manganese ore bed. The focus is on the paragenetic sequence and the diagenetic evolution of the braunite lutite that constitutes the manganese ore. The Mamatwan-type ore can be described as diagenetic to very low-grade metamorphic carbonate-bearing braunite manganolutite. Based on geochemical and mineralogical data, the lower manganese ore body was previously subdivided into eleven lithogically distinct zones. Based on detailed diamond drill core logging and with the aid of geochemical and physical data of two selected drill cores, an additional thirteen subzones were identified in this study. These new subzones were found to be consistent across the entire study area, located to the west and north of the present Mamatwan open pit. The paragenetic sequence recognised in the ore of the lower manganese ore bed can be subdivided into four stages, namely: (a) sedimentation, which is represented by fine lamination and the presence of fine-grained “dusty hematite”. (b) early diagenesis as represented by micritic carbonate matrix and possibly braunite, (c) late diagenesis or low-grade metamorphism are represented by coarse grained hausmannite, specularitic hematite, partridgeite and Mn-calcite, and supergene alteration that occurs immdediately below the contact of the ore bed to the unconformably overlying Tertiary Kalahari Formation. This supergene altered zone is marked by the presence of Mn4+ oxides such as cryptomelane, manjiroite, romanechite and pyrolusite, in addition to barite. The results obtained in this study permit definition of two sedimentary cycles within the manganese ore bed at the Mamatwan mine. Both cycles are defined by a carbonate-rich finely laminated zone at the base, overlain by a central manganese-rich economic zone, capped by manganese lutite that is enriched in carbonate ovoids. The two manganeserich zones are known as the M (lower) and X (upper) zone, and are characterized by the replacement of carbonate ovoids by hausmannite. The two Mn-rich zones are chemically and physically almost identical, with the M zone 7.5m thick and the X zone 5.5m thick. However, in the present mining configuration only the M zone is being mined. The most important result arising from the present study is the recommendation to restructure the future mining operation in order to mine not only the M zone, but also the X zone.

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 1980. / Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science. / Bibliography: leaves 79-80. / by Andrew G. Hudson. / M.S.

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