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.