Recover minerals from waste, advices expert

Nagpur, Sep 20 (UNI) Jawaharlal Nehru Aluminium Research Development and Design Centre (JNARDDC) Director Dr Jyoti Mukhopadhyay has stressed the need to recover minerals from waste generated during production and mining, and to recycle metallic scrap, to conserve the limited natural resources in the country.

Speaking after inaugurating a daylong workshop on ''Research and Development in Mineral Processing'' hosted by the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) here today, Dr Mukhopadhyay said that the red mud generated by the aluminium industry, for example, was a rich source of titanium, iron and sodium. Fly ash and aluminium dross were also rich sources of important metals, he said.

A close look must, therefore, be taken at the mineral entities present in the principal and secondary ores of a mineral, and not abandon the material left over after the extraction process, he said.

Dr Mukhopadhyay said that recycling of metallic scrap like steel, copper, aluminium, zinc and lead should also be encouraged. This should be facilitated by specifying the appropriate standards for classification and grading of scrap, he said.

''No nation can afford to waste any part of identified reserves, leave alone throwing away valuable mineral-rich left-over, as these are finite and non-renewable. It is important to ensure optimal utilisation of the available resources,'' he added.

IBM Chief Ore Dressing Officer C S Gundewar said that the workshop was organised to evaluate the research in mineral beneficiation carried out by his organisation and to discuss the future needs of the industry.

UNI