Indonesian Tungsten Mineralogy and Processing Concept

¹ Politeknik Energi dan Pertambangan (PEP) Bandung, Indonesia
² Balai Besar Pengujian Mineral dan Batubara, Bandung, Indonesia
³ PT Timah, Tbk Bangka, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: imelda.hutabarat@esdm.go.id

Abstract

Tungsten minerals which are major as Wolframite and Scheelite mineral are by-product minerals of Tin mineral known as Cassiterite. Tin minerals are mostly found in Bangka Island which is one of the islands in the Southeast Asian tin belt that makes Indonesia the largest Tin (Sn) producer in the world. This research aims to characterize the mineralogy of Tungsten and associated minerals for potential mineral processing to gain the Tungsten concentrates. The Tungsten minerals were collected from the eastern edge of Klabat Granite in Toboali District, South Bangka. The Tungsten minerals were magnetically separated up to 14000 Gauss. The magnetic and non-magnetic fractions were identified to analyze the associated mineral of Tungsten with SEM analysis. The associated minerals in the Tungsten mineralization system in Toboali were found along with Silicates, Oxides, Sulphides, and Carbonates where Silicates dominated up to 91.8% of the non-magnetic minerals while Wolframite presence up to 0.9% in the non-magnetic fraction. At magnetic fraction found that Silicates dominates also up to 84.6% while Wolframite existed at 1.1%. The results of element deportment in the non-magnetic fraction show that Tungsten is associated with iron minerals and also in liberated form. The potential Tungsten mineral is Wolframite (Fe,Mn) WO₄ in the magnetic and non-magnetic fraction. Mineral locking at P₁₀₀ size 18.8 μ. shows that 84.4% Wolframite was locking with 3 (three) other minerals, 10.4% locking with 2 (two) other minerals, and only 4.8% Wolframite was 100% free in the magnetic fraction while in non-magnetic fraction P100 size 31.5 μ 77.5% Wolframite was locking with 3 (three) other minerals 18.3% locking with 2 (two) other minerals and only 4.2% Wolframite was 100% free. The processing concept is to liberate Tungsten from the associated minerals either with comminution or a combination of roasting alkali and leaching process and concentrate it up to marketable Tungsten concentrates.