Microwave technique for analysis of mineral sands

A microwave transmission technique, which responds to changes in material dielectric properties, has been shown to be suitable for the analysis of the proportions of iron titanate (FeT), FeO, Fe2O3 and TiO2 in ilmenite. A prototype analyser, developed for the routine analysis of ilmenite samples, has allowed the rapid analysis of samples without the use of the hazardous chemicals used in present wet chemical procedures. In the analysis of a suite of ilmenite samples from Western Australia, the technique determined FeO to 1.06 wt.% over the range 2.7–24.1 wt.% and FeT to 0.57 wt.% over the range 21.6–31.9 wt.%.