Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral resources and most of these remain untapped. The country is so blessed with solid minerals and in large quantities too. Due to presence of oil in the country as well the government has not devoted enough time to the solid mineral sector although it has started by declaring its intension to support investors in this sector. This it has done by streamlining the process of acquisition of mining title and setting aside solid mineral support fund for investors in the sector. One of such mineral that Nigeria has in abundance is Titanium.
Titanium is a chemical element with symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It is a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength. Titanium is resistant to corrosion in sea water, aqua regia, and chlorine. Titanium occurs within a number of mineral deposits, principally rutile and ilmenite. The metal is extracted from its principal mineral ores by the Kroll and Hunter processes. The most common compound, titanium dioxide, is a popular photo-catalyst and is used in the manufacture of white pigments. Other compounds include titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a component of smoke screens and catalysts; and titanium trichloride (TiCl3), which is used as a catalyst in the production of polypropylene.
Titanium can be alloyed with iron, aluminium, vanadium, and molybdenum, among other elements, to produce strong, lightweight alloys for aerospace (jet engines, missiles, and spacecraft), military, industrial processes (chemicals and petrochemicals, desalination plants, pulp, and paper), automotive, agri-food, medical prostheses, orthopedic implants, dental and endodontic instruments and files, dental implants, sporting goods, jewelry, mobile phones, and other applications.
The two most useful properties of the metal are corrosion resistance and strength-to-density ratio, the highest of any metallic element. In its unalloyed condition, titanium is as strong as some steels, but less dense.
Occurrence
Titanium is the ninth-most abundant element in Earth‘s crust (0.63% by mass) and the seventh-most abundant metal. It is present as oxides in most igneous rocks, in sediments derived from them
PRODUCTION
The processing of titanium metal occurs in four major steps: reduction of titanium ore into “sponge”, a porous form; melting of sponge, or sponge plus a master alloy to form an ingot; primary fabrication, where an ingot is converted into general mill products such as billet, bar, plate, sheet, strip, and tube; and secondary fabrication of finished shapes from mill products.
APPLICATION
Titanium is used in steel as an alloying element (ferro-titanium) to reduce grain size and as a deoxidizer, and in stainless steel to reduce carbon content. Titanium is often alloyed with aluminium (to refine grain size), vanadium, copper (to harden), iron, manganese, molybdenum, and other metals. Titanium mill products (sheet, plate, bar, wire, forgings, castings) find application in industrial, aerospace, recreational, and emerging markets. Powdered titanium is used in pyrotechnics as a source of bright-burning particles.
Pigments, additives, and coatings
About 95% of all titanium ore is destined for refinement into titanium dioxide (TiO
2), an intensely white permanent pigment used in paints, paper, toothpaste, and plastics. It is also used in cement, in gemstones, as an optical opacifier in paper and a strengthening agent in graphite composite fishing rods and golf clubs.
TiO2 powder is chemically inert, resists fading in sunlight, and is very opaque: it imparts a pure and brilliant white colour to the brown or grey chemicals that form the majority of household plastics. In nature, this compound is found in the minerals anatase, brookite, and rutile. Paint made with titanium dioxide does well in severe temperatures and marine environments. Pure titanium dioxide has a very high index of refraction and an optical dispersion higher than diamond. In addition to being a very important pigment, titanium dioxide is also used in sunscreens.
Aerospace and marine
Because titanium alloys have high tensile strength to density ratio, high corrosion resistance, fatigue resistance, high crack resistance, and ability to withstand moderately high temperatures without creeping, they are used in aircraft, armour plating, naval ships, spacecraft, and missiles. For these applications, titanium is alloyed with aluminium, zirconium, nickel, vanadium, and other elements to manufacture a variety of components including critical structural parts, fire walls, landing gear, exhaust ducts (helicopters), and hydraulic systems. In fact, about two thirds of all titanium metal produced is used in aircraft engines and frames. The titanium 6AL-4V alloy accounts for almost 50% of all alloys used in aircraft applications.
The Lockheed A-12 and its development the SR-71 “Blackbird” were two of the first aircraft frames where titanium was used, paving the way for much wider use in modern military and commercial aircraft. An estimated 59 metric tons (130,000 pounds) are used in the Boeing 777, 45 in the Boeing 747, 18 in the Boeing 737, 32 in the Airbus A340, 18 in the Airbus A330, and 12 in the Airbus A320. The Airbus A380 may use 77 metric tons, including about 11 tons in the engines. In aero engine applications, titanium is used for rotors, compressor blades, hydraulic system components, and nacelles. An early use in jet engines was for the Orenda Iroquois in the 1950’s.
Because titanium is resistant to corrosion by sea water, it is used to make propeller shafts, rigging, and heat exchangers in desalination plants; heater-chillers for salt water aquariums, fishing line and leader, and divers’ knives. Titanium is used in the housings and components of ocean-deployed surveillance and monitoring devices for science and the military. The former Soviet Union developed techniques for making submarines with hulls of titanium alloys, forging titanium in huge vacuum tubes. Titanium is also used in the walls of the Juno spacecraft’s vault to shield on-board electronics.
Industrial
Welded titanium pipe and process equipment (heat exchangers, tanks, process vessels, valves) are used in the chemical and petrochemical industries primarily for corrosion resistance. Specific alloys are used in oil and gas downhole applications and nickel hydrometallurgy for their high strength (e. g.: titanium beta C alloy), corrosion resistance, or both. The pulp and paper industry uses titanium in process equipment exposed to corrosive media, such as sodium hypochlorite or wet chlorine gas (in the bleachery). Other applications include ultrasonic welding, wave soldering, and sputtering targets.
Titanium tetrachloride (TiCl4), a colorless liquid, is important as an intermediate in the process of making TiO2 and is also used to produce the Ziegler–Natta catalyst. Titanium tetrachloride is also used to iridize glass and, because it fumes strongly in moist air, it is used to make smoke screens.[12]
Consumer
Titanium metal is used in automotive applications, particularly in automobile and motorcycle racing where low weight and high strength and rigidity are critical. The metal is generally too expensive for the general consumer market, though some late model Corvettes have been manufactured with titanium exhausts, and a Corvette Z06’s LT4 supercharged engine uses lightweight, solid titanium intake valves for greater strength and resistance to heat.
Titanium is used in many sporting goods: tennis rackets, golf clubs, lacrosse stick shafts; cricket, hockey, lacrosse, and football helmet grills, and bicycle frames and components. Although not a mainstream material for bicycle production, titanium bikes have been used by racing teams and adventure cyclists.
Titanium alloys are used in spectacle frames that are rather expensive but highly durable, long lasting, light weight, and cause no skin allergies. Many backpackers use titanium equipment, including cookware, eating utensils, lanterns, and tent stakes. Though slightly more expensive than traditional steel or aluminium alternatives, titanium products can be significantly lighter without compromising strength. Titanium horseshoes are preferred to steel by farriers because they are lighter and more durable.
Because of titanium’s superior strength and light weight relative to other metals (steel, stainless steel, and aluminium), and because of recent advances in metalworking techniques, its use has become more widespread in the manufacture of firearms. Primary uses include pistol frames and revolver cylinders. For the same reasons, it is used in the body of laptop computers (for example, in Apple‘s PowerBook line).
Some upmarket lightweight and corrosion-resistant tools, such as shovels and flashlights, are made of titanium or titanium alloys.
Jewelry
Because of its durability, titanium has become more popular for designer jewelry (particularly, titanium rings). Its inertness makes it a good choice for those with allergies or those who will be wearing the jewelry in environments such as swimming pools. Titanium is also alloyed with gold to produce an alloy that can be marketed as 24-carat gold because the 1% of alloyed Ti is insufficient to require a lesser mark. The resulting alloy is roughly the hardness of 14-carat gold and is more durable than pure 24-carat gold.
Titanium’s durability, light weight, and dent and corrosion resistance make it useful for watch cases. Some artists work with titanium to produce sculptures, decorative objects and furniture.[
Titanium may be anodized to vary the thickness of the surface oxide layer, causing optical interference fringes and a variety of bright colors. With this coloration and chemical inertness, titanium is a popular metal for body piercing.
Titanium has a minor use in dedicated non-circulating coins and medals. In 1999, Gibraltar released world’s first titanium coin for the millennium celebration. The Gold Coast Titans, an Australian rugby league team, award a medal of pure titanium to their player of the year.
Medical
Because titanium is biocompatible (non-toxic and not rejected by the body), it has many medical uses, including surgical implements and implants, such as hip balls and sockets (joint replacement) and dental implants that can stay in place for up to 20 years. The titanium is often alloyed with about 4% aluminium or 6% Al and 4% vanadium.
Titanium has the inherent ability to osseointegrate, enabling use in dental implants that can last for over 30 years. This property is also useful for orthopedic implant applications. These benefit from titanium’s lower modulus of elasticity (Young’s modulus) to more closely match that of the bone that such devices are intended to repair. As a result, skeletal loads are more evenly shared between bone and implant, leading to a lower incidence of bone degradation due to stress shielding and periprosthetic bone fractures, which occur at the boundaries of orthopedic implants. However, titanium alloys’ stiffness is still more than twice that of bone, so adjacent bone bears a greatly reduced load and may deteriorate.
Because titanium is non-ferromagnetic, patients with titanium implants can be safely examined with magnetic resonance imaging (convenient for long-term implants). Preparing titanium for implantation in the body involves subjecting it to a high-temperature plasma arc which removes the surface atoms, exposing fresh titanium that is instantly oxidized.
Titanium is used for the surgical instruments used in image-guided surgery, as well as wheelchairs, crutches, and any other products where high strength and low weight are desirable.Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are widely used in electronics and the delivery of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics.
Nuclear waste storage
Because of it is corrosion resistance, containers made of titanium have been studied for the long-term storage of nuclear waste. Containers lasting more than 100,000 years are thought possible with manufacturing conditions that minimize material defects A titanium “drip shield” could also be installed over containers of other types to enhance their longevity.
EXPORT OF TITANIUM
Titanium ore can be exported after sorting into size and packaging. Packaging is usually in 50 Kg since the price is quoted in Metric tons. 1000/KG makes 1 ton and this helps in easy containerization of the goods since most shipping company prefer to carry 20 tons in 20 feet container. In shipping mineral ores, 20 feet container is usually preferred because of the weight of the ores.
The sorting of the ore simply refers to the breaking down of the ore into the desired sizes as agreed with the buyer. Sizes usually range from 0-50-100 mm and care must be taken while this is being done because if the product is not broken to the desired size, it might lead to a reduction in price or rejection of goods.
In the export of the copper ore, some of the cost to consider includes cost of the ore at the site, cost of transportation to site of crushing/loading {in case the mining site is not accessible to trucks}, cost of crushing, cost of packaging, cost of loading it to the truck, cost of transportation to Warehouse/port, cost of analysis, cost of freight, agent fee, and miscellaneous. All these cost will be worked out for any potential investor so that you can have a better view of the return on investment
REFINING
This facility do not exist in the Nigeria presently thus it presents a fantastic investment opportunity for a savvy investor to take advantage of, such investor will refine the Titanium ore and then sell Titanium concentrate to local and international buyers. This fetches more return on investment even though the investment is huge
MARKET
Export of crude Titanium ore is good business but refining to obtain pure Titanium ready to be used is better although it requires enormous investment so also is the return on investment. Global Titanium consumption is steadily increasing, and currently stands at some 700 thousand metric tons 2017 report. Forecasts for global copper demand show the same trend. The leading refined Copper consuming countries were China, the United States, Japan and Germany. Demand for Titanium worldwide is expected to grow largely because of increased demand in Aerospace, Industrial, Medical, Military & Consumer Markets
REQUIREMENT AND CONDITIONS FOR MINING IN NIGERIA
There are two options available to a company or an individual to enter into the mining industry in Nigeria.
- Through the acquisition of an existing mining Lease from the original owner. Approval must be obtained from the Ministry of Solid Minerals Development for such a purchase.
- Fresh mining lease
Procedure for Mineral Title Licences/Leases and Permits:
Duly completed application form
Coordinates of the area of application
Certificate of incorporation
Attestation
Letter of consent from landowner(s)/occupier(s)
Types of minerals
Work programme/pre-feasibility report
Evidence of payment
Technical capability
Financial capability
In order to encourage investment in the solid minerals industry in Nigeria, Government is offering the following incentives
- 3-5 years Tax Holiday
- Deferred royalty payments
- Possible capitalization of expenditure on exploration and surveys
- Extension of infrastructure such as roads and electricity to mining sites, and provision of 100% foreign ownership of mining concerns.
The mining industry in Nigeria is regulated by the Nigerian Minerals and Mining Act of 2007, National Minerals and Metals Policy 2008 and Nigerian Minerals and Mining Regulations 2011.
CONCLUSION
Business Advisory Network ‘BAN’ will work with you and assist you to process mining lease from the federal government. We will help you source for a site with rich mineral content. Mining is a technical field although the financial reward is enormous; therefore to succeed you need experts to guide you to avoid fatal mistakes that will erode your capital.
Other things BAN can do for you include but are not limited to helping you to determine the grade of Titanium ore at the site, source market for your mined minerals, both locally and internationally. BAN will also help you arrange security at your mining sites. It will interest you to know that export of refined pure Titanium is where you will make a kill. BAN will help you to set up a refinery for Titanium ore in Nigeria. The capital outlay for this is huge but even so much more is the return on investment.
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