Extraction of platinum group elements (PGE) is a major source of revenue in South Africa and the reserves represent about 75 per cent of world reserves. Most of the remaining Platinum Group Mineral (PGM) reserves are located in the UG-2 chromitite layer of the Bushveld Igneous Complex. Platinum concentrators experience significant losses of PGE in their secondary milling circuits due to insufficient liberation of platinum-bearing particles. The chromium oxide (Cr2O3) content in UG-2 concentrates is typically 3%, which results in operational problems in the downstream smelting process. Ways of improving the design of the secondary milling circuit were investigated, with the purpose of improving PGE recovery and reducing Cr2O3 entrainment in the subsequent flotation stage. Batch-scale laboratory and pilot plant tests were carried out to investigate the optimal design of a secondary milling circuit configuration. The optimal design consisted of a conventional hydrocyclone to de-slime the feed, followed by gravity separation with a spiral concentrator circuit to separate the ore into lights (silicates-rich) and heavies (chromite-rich) fractions. Separate milling of the light and heavy fractions made it possible to grind the silicate-rich fraction finer and to avoid over-grinding of the chromite. The total milling energy was redistributed between the silicates and chromite ball mills with 88% of the energy input to the silicates mill and 12% to the chromite mill thus reducing chromite over-grinding. The effects on the recovery of PGE, and the entrainment of Cr2O3 were measured in combined batch rougher flotation tests. The results indicated a 2% improvement in the secondary rougher flotation PGE recovery for the densifier underflow sample as compared to the standard MF-2 circuit, and most significantly the Cr2O3 entrainment was reduced by over 30% overall. Attritioning of the chromite-rich heavies fraction and ball milling of the silicates-rich lights fraction resulted in a 52% reduction of Cr2O3 in the rougher flotation concentrate and a 0.4% increase in PGE recovery (0.4%) as compared to the standard circuit. The improved reduction in chromite entrainment may be attributed to the lower fines generation with attritioning (52.8%- 106μm) as compared to ball milling with a 12% energy input (83.6% -106μm). Over 50% of the chromite minerals remained in the +106μm of the attritioned heavies product as compared with 21% for the ball milled spiral heavies stream. This accounted for a significant proportion of the overall chromite reduction in the flotation concentrate and supported the motivation for the inclusion of a separate grinding circuit for the chromite and silicate particles. Pilot plant testwork on a VHG (very high grade) spiral concentrator circuit followed by laboratory milling and rougher flotation tests confirmed the above conclusions. A 3.7% improvement in PGE recovery was noted with a 32% Cr2O3 reduction in the secondary rougher flotation concentrate as compared to the standard circuit. The statistical reliability of the laboratory and pilot plant data were quantified at various stages of the testwork due to the heterogeneous nature of the feed material and representative sampling. The repeat analyses on selected flotation tests for the high grade ore revealed that the variances were below 0.5%, 4%, and 7% for the head grades, PGE and Cr2O3 recoveries respectively. The flotation results for the standard and significantly improved milling circuits had variances in the 4E recoveries for the low grade ore and pilot plant ore of below 5.5% and 1% respectively. Low variances (<1%) in the Cr2O3 recoveries were noted for the low grade and pilot plant ores. A preliminary cost estimate was undertaken based on the pilot plant data to determine what value the proposed circuit could add for an additional 3.7% PGE recovery. An additional revenue of approximately R50 000 per day could result based upon the platinum mineral recovery only. The other precious metals, i.e. palladium and rhodium were neglected and would further increase the overall revenue. The minimum payback period for the estimated capital investment would be approximately 4 years. This confirmed the benefit of this improved secondary milling circuit design as a viable option. A closed-circuit operation of the silicates mill should offer more significant benefits compared to the open circuit option; however, this was not considered in the current testwork. This project has confirmed the benefit of separate ball milling and the use of a spiral concentrator as an effective gravity separation device in the secondary milling circuit for a chromite-rich (>50%) UG-2 platinum ore. / Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2011.

Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, November 2007. / Restricted until 15th November 2008.

Thesis (M.Sc.(Geology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Abstract in English. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 208-235).

Thesis (Ph.D.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Acompanying material: 1 folded map and 1 diskette (Excel 2000) in pocket. Includes bibliographical references (p. 140-152). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Sc.(Geology))--University of Pretoria, 2003. / Summary in English. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1992. / Typescript. Bibliography: leaves 140-157. Also available online.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Chemistry))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Summaries in Afrikaans and English.

Thesis (Ph.D.(Mineralogy))--University of Pretoria, 2001. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 186-194).

Η νήσος της Τήνου (εικόνα 1), με εμβαδό περίπου 200 km2, βρίσκεται στη δυτική Ελλάδα και είναι τρίτη σε έκταση μεταξύ των νήσων που συγκροτούν το σύμπλεγμα των Κυκλάδων, στο Αιγαίο πέλαγος. Από γεωτεκτονικής απόψεως υπάγεται στην γεωτεκτονική ενότητα, γνωστή ως ‘Αττικοκυκλαδική Κρυσταλλοσχιστώδης Μάζα’. Από διάφορες γεωλογικές μελέτες που έχουν συνταχθεί κατά καιρούς, έχει προκύψει ότι στην γεωλογική της δομή μετέχουν μεταμορφίτες, μαγματίτες και τεταρτογενή ιζήματα. Από τα πετρώματα αυτά οι μεν μεταμορφίτες καλύπτουν το 79%, τα δε υπόλοιπα το 17% και 4%, αντίστοιχα, της επιφάνειας της νήσου.Με βάση μελέτες που πραγματοποιήθηκαν στις οφιολιθικές εμφανήσεις της Τήνου, προέκυψε πως η σύσταση του μανδυακού περιδοτίτη είναι χαρζβουργιτική, μέσα στον οποίο υπήρχαν αρκετές μικρές εμφανήσεις χρωμίτη. Οι χαρακτήρες που έχουν μελετηθεί γεωχημικά και ορυκτολογικά-πετρογραφικά, αφορούν κυρίως τον διάσπαρτο τύπο σπινελλίου και τον τεκτονίτη-περιδοτίτη που είναι ο δυνητικός ξενιστής κοιτασμάτων χρωμίτη.Το ενδιαφέρον της νήσου της Τήνου από απόψεως οικονομικής γεωλογίας περιορίζεται – σύμφωνα τουλάχιστον με τα δεδομένα που έχουν προκύψει από τις μέχρι τώρα έρευνες – αποκλειστικά και μόνο στα μάρμαρα και στα βιομηχανικά ορυκτά και πετρώματα (τάλκης). Μεταλλικά ορυκτά απατώνται μεν, σε φυσικές όμως συγκεντρώσεις τέτοιες, ώστε ούτε οι διαστάσεις τους ούτε και η περιεκτικότητά τους σε μέταλλο να αφήνουν περιθώρια για θετικές εκτιμήσεις. Παλαιότερα, έγινε προσπάθεια εκμεταλλεύσεως, σε διάφορες θέσεις, χωρίς θετικά αποτελέσματα όμως. Τα μεταλλευτικά έργα είναι μικρών διαστάσεων, συνήθως εκσκαφές, και σε λίγες περιπτώσεις στοές και κεκλιμένα. Σημειώνεται ότι σε πολλές από τις εκσκαφές δεν υπάρχουν σήμερα ίχνη μεταλλεύματος, ούτε στα τοιχώματά τους, ούτε στα μπάζα. Η συγκέντρωση της ομάδας του λευκόχρυσου (PGE) και του χρυσού στους χρωμιτίτες των οφιολίθων της Τήνου είναι της τάξεως των εκατοντάδων ppb. Αυτά τα στοιχεία συγκεντρώνονται κυρίως θειούχα μεταλλικά ορυκτά (σουλφίδια), όπως ο χαλκοπυρίτης, και σχηματίζονται στο ορθομαγματικό στάδιο, σχηματίζοντας ομάδες, μέσα στους κόκκους του χρωμίτη. / Tinos island (picture 1), with an area of about 200 km2, is located in weastern Greece and is the third largest island of the Cyclades group of islands, in the Aegean Sea. Geologically, is regarded, to belong to the geotectonic unit, known as the ‘Atticocycladic Crystalline Massif’. As a result of many geological studies, it was found that the geological structure of the island is made up from metamorphic and magmatic rocks, as well as Quaternary sediments. These rocks cover an area of about 79%, 17% and 4%respectively of the island’s surface area. Based on studies performed in the Tinos ophiolitic complex, showed that the composition of the mantle peridotites is harzburgitic, in which there were several small commulations of chromite. The characters studied geochemical and mineralogical-petrographical, mainly concern the disseminated spinel type and the peridotite which is a potential host rock for chromite deposits. The interest of Tinos island in terms of economic geology is limited - at least according to the data derived from the surveys so far - to marbles and industrial minerals and rocks (talc). Metallic minerals are occured, but in natural concentrations such that neither the dimensions nor the content of metal allow for positive evaluations. Previously, an exploitation attempt was made, in various positions, but without positive results. Mining projects are small, usually excavations, and in a few cases tunnels and ramps. Note that in many of the excavation does not exist today mines traces neither in their walls, nor in the rubble. The concentration of platinum group (PGE) and gold in chromitites of serpentines of Tinos are about of hundreds of ppb. These components are mainly concentrated sulphurous metallic minerals (sulfides) such as chalcopyrite, and formed in orthomagmatic stage, forming groups within the granules of the chromite.