Mineral beneficiation tests on apatite-bearing carbonatite, Tundulu, Malawi

Approximately one million tons of the phosphate resources of the Tundulu carbonatite complex, Malawi, are in apatite-carbonatites (10-15% P205)' These rocks are composed of apatite, quartz, calcite plus 'Fe-oxide pseudomorphs after siderite, accessory late-stage Fe-free calcite, and traces of synchisite, bastnaesite, pyrochlore, barite and strontianite. Mining of the apatite-bearing rocks to provide material for direct application fertilizer would involve selective mining of the paler, Fe-carbonate-free rocks. However, if larger-scale exploitation was required, beneficiation of the lower-grade rocks containing substantial quantities of Fe-carbonates and quartz would be required.