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ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13 MARCH 2014)

ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13 MARCH 2014). Potential Contribution of Lithium and Tantalite to Economic Development. LITHIUM. Currently being mined at Bikita Minerals in the district of Masvingo.

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ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13 MARCH 2014)

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  1. ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13 MARCH 2014) Potential Contribution of Lithium and Tantalite to Economic Development

  2. LITHIUM • Currently being mined at Bikita Minerals in the district of Masvingo. • Main mineral is petalite (lithium aluminium tectosilicate [LiAl(Si2O5)2]. • Ore currently undergoes beneficiation at Bikita Minerals as follows: • Primary, secondary and tertiary crushing. • Dense medium separation.

  3. Lithium contd • Drying and bagging. • Main products exported are : • Low alkali petalite • Gravel petalite • Vitroflux • Pollucite

  4. Lithium Contd • Local Markets • Zimglass (Pvt) Ltd – glassmaking • Willsgrove Pottery (Pvt) Ltd – tiles, cups, sinks and other ceramic products • Regional and International Markets • South Africa, Japan, Malaysia and The Netherlands.

  5. Lithium contd • General Uses • Lithium-ion batteries used to power : • Cell phones • Laptops • Computers • Cars (Hybrid and Electric) • Electric bicycles • Glass-making • Ceramic products : tiles, cups, sinks bath tubs etc.

  6. Lithium contd • Exports and Revenue : 2013 Overview • Quantity exported : 40 933,32t • Revenue realised : US$7 609 703,32 • Average price : $180/t • Potential Contribution of Lithium • Used to make lithium-ion batteries to power cell phones, laptops, computers, hybrid and electric cars and electric bicycles. • Technology : Not in Zimbabwe but very feasible to produce the Lithium Carbonate [Li2CO3] powder used to make the batteries

  7. Lithium contd • Set up a processing plant in Bulawayo • Get the raw materials from • Coal - Hwange • Lithium – Tin dumps from Kamativi • Other raw materials(soda ash from Botswana) • Acid from Zimphos • Export the product to China for the production of lithium-ion batteries • Repeat for other lithium deposits

  8. TANTALITE DEPOSIT • Tantalum metal (Ta) is a base metal. • Occurs almost always with Niobite and Columbite. • Dominant host rock for mineable primary columbite –tantalite deposits, are the granitic rare-metal pegmatites.

  9. General Characteristics-Tantulum • Tantalum is a metallic element extracted (or refined ) from primary and alluvial tantalum mineral deposits. • It is hard, blue-grey metal with a very high melting point , (approximately 30000C). • The most important tantulum-niobium mineral is tantalite,(Fe,Mn)Ta2O6.

  10. Occurence • In Zimbabwe, main tantalum ore deposits are in the following areas : • Bikita • Kamativi • Mberengewa • Mutoko • Bepe Hills – Odzi • Karoi • Bindura

  11. World Consumption 2009(Estimated) • 1 015t Ta –Primary raw material including tantalite,columbite,struverite,tin slag,synthetic concentrates. • 669t Ta-secondary materials (Ta2O5,K2TaF7,scrap)

  12. Production-Stages • Mining-Open pit ,artisanal and small scale mining • Tantalite mining and the tin-tantalum slag refinery concentrate processors (export to) primary tantalum manufacturers for the processing of tantalum ingots of metallurgical and capacitor grade tantalum distributors

  13. Application • Mainly used to produce ; • More than 70% is consumed by electronics industry-mostly capacitors for laptops , cell phones and computers • Explosives • Super alloys and cemented carbides

  14. Price Development • Price in contained tantalum per kilogram (Sources:USGS 2009); • 1990- $90/kg • 1995- $85/kg • 2000-$ 600/kg • 2001-$1 000/kg • 2005-$100/kg • 2010-$100/kg • *Tantalum Powder ($11 000/kg approx)

  15. Economic Contribution • Exports and Revenue : 2013 Overview (Source : MMCZ) • Quantity exported : 20.1t • Revenue realised : US$2 813 901,62 • Average price : $140/t • Potential Contribution of Tantalum • Employment creation (Resuscitation of Kamativi Tin mine and mine expansion at Sandawana Mine in Mberengwa and creation of service centres on other small deposits) • New investment in value-addition (production of lithium carbonate and in the long-term –production of lithium batteries) • Increased revenue streams from export of value-added products) • Possible consolidation of tantalum outputs from different countries (DRC, Mozambique, Zambia and Namibia) to a conviniently-located processing facility

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