Role of NMDC in Mineral Conservation

Minerals and ores are site-specific, non-renewable natural resources with a limited supply. All natural materials on the earth are derived from the earth by forming or mining. Minerals are the raw materials for the manufacturing industry which were derived from the earth. Minerals play a vital role in the development of any nation. In India, the use of minerals has increased tremendously after its independence. Minerals in some areas are in danger of going extinct due to incorrect and excessive use. Therefore, mineral conservation is necessary. Mineral conservation can be accomplished by enhancing mining techniques, using low-grade ores, rejects, recovering related minerals, and requiring zero-waste technology. Minerals can also be conserved through the latest techniques of beneficiation, blending, sizing, concentration, Pelletisation, value addition, purification, and general customization of products. Converting waste to wealth is one of the main mineral conservation methods. Research and Development (R&D) plays a vital role in mineral conservation. The latest context of R&D in mineral conservation is recovering minerals from waste or rejects. This article deals with the role of R&D in the conservation of minerals, particularly low-cost bulk commodities like iron ore. Discussion includes mineral conservation through the development of a process flowsheet for the production of pellet grade concentrate from Banded Iron Formations (BIF) like Sub Grade Iron Ore (SGIO), Banded Hematite Jasper (BHJ), Banded Hematite Quartzite (BHQ) and iron ore slimes of NMDC mines. The beneficiation studies and research were done at the Research and Development Centre, NMDC Limited, Hyderabad.