7/17/2017 Division of Geology and Mineral Resources - Heavy Mineral Sands

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HEAVY MINERAL SANDS

The weathering over millions of
years of igneous and
metamorphic rocks, containing
minerals such as rutile, ilmenite,
zircon and leucoxene, results in
sand grains with high densities.
The grains are generally
accessory minerals in quartz
sands. They are concentrated
by coastal, alluvial, and eolian
processes that carry away the
less dense quartz grains, leaving behind the denser heavy mineral sands. Most heavy mineral
deposits around the world are found in ancient beach deposits that are now located far from
today's oceans.

Year of first production in Virginia: 1991

Location of first production in Virginia: Dinwiddie County

Virginia ranked second in the United States in both titanium and zirconium production in 2003
(Gambogi, 2003). Iluka Resources produced approximately 360 thousand tons of heavy
mineral concentrate from its Old Hickory operation in Dinwiddie County in 2003. The Old
Hickory heavy mineral deposit in Dinwiddie County was formed in beach and dune sands
around 3 to 4 million years ago when the Atlantic Ocean was at higher elevations, and the
shoreline was near Richmond. Heavy mineral concentrate production has increased by over 50

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7/17/2017 Division of Geology and Mineral Resources - Heavy Mineral Sands

percent in the past five years. Ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile and zircon make up approximately 80
percent of the heavy mineral concentrate. These minerals are extracted from Pliocene-aged
placer beach sands and all have industrial uses. Ilmenite, leucoxene, and rutile contain varying
percentages of titanium dioxide which is primarily used for the manufacture of paint pigment.
Rutile is also a source of titanium, a non-toxic metal capable of strengthening steel and is used
in the aerospace industry, artificial joints and limbs, and heart pacemakers. Zircon is used as a
ceramic glaze and in refractory bricks and foundry sand in steel manufacture. Initial processing
is done on-site in the companys concentrator. Gravity spirals are used to separate the denser
heavy minerals and electrostatic and magnetic separators separate the individual heavy mineral
constituents.

Heavy-mineral sand production in Virginia, 1991-2003.

Selected References:Gambogi, Joseph, 2003, Titanium: U. S. Geological Survey Minerals

Yearbook, p. 78.1-78.9.

Gilmer, A. K., Enomoto, C. B., Lovett, J. A., and Spears, D. B., 2005, Mineral and fossil fuel
production in Virginia (1999-2003): Virginia Division of Mineral Resources Open-File Report 05-
04, 77 p.

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7/17/2017 Division of Geology and Mineral Resources - Heavy Mineral Sands

Virginia Division of Mineral Resources, 1993, Geologic Map of Virginia: Virginia Division of
Mineral Resources, scale 1:500,000.

Minerals Report Oct 2010 Analysis of 4 sand samples.pdf

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