ZIMASSET ECONOMIC BLUEPRINT AWARENESS SEMINAR (12-13

MARCH 2014)Potential Contribution of Lithium

and Tantalite to Economic Development

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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.

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Lithium contd

Drying and bagging.• Main products exported are :Low alkali petalite Gravel petaliteVitroflux Pollucite

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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.

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Lithium contd• General UsesLithium-ion batteries used to power : Cell phones Laptops Computers Cars (Hybrid and Electric) Electric bicyclesGlass-makingCeramic products : tiles, cups, sinks bath tubs

etc.

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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

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Lithium contdSet up a processing plant in BulawayoGet the raw materials from Coal - Hwange Lithium – Tin dumps from KamativiOther raw materials(soda ash from Botswana)Acid from ZimphosExport the product to China for the production of

lithium-ion batteriesRepeat for other lithium deposits

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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.

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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.

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Occurence

• In Zimbabwe, main tantalum ore deposits are in the following areas :

BikitaKamativiMberengewa MutokoBepe Hills – OdziKaroiBindura

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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)

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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

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Application

• Mainly used to produce ;More than 70% is consumed by electronics

industry-mostly capacitors for laptops , cell phones and computers

ExplosivesSuper alloys and cemented carbides

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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)

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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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