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In the nuclear power programme of the country, uranium plays the
key role. The  first
stage of three-stage programme of the Department is
based on PHWRs which are fuelled by natural uranium. The second
stage envisages utilization of plutonium produced
in the first stage and the third stage is
based on thorium fuel. Therefore, apart from uranium, AMD has
also been engaged in locating and evaluating the mineral resources
of thorium and other nuclear raw materials, such as zirconium,
beryllium, lithium, etc. required for implementing the above
programme. These minerals, such as ilmenite, rutile (titanium
minerals), zircon (zirconium mineral), monazite (thorium and
REE mineral)  along
with garnet and sillimanite, occur abundantly along the eastern
and western coastal plains of the country as well as in some
inland placers of Tamil Nadu, Bihar and West Bengal.
Amongst these, ilmenite, rutile, zircon and monazite are grouped
as ‘prescribed substances’ under the Atomic Energy
Act, 1962. AMD has the mandate to explore and evaluate the
resources of these minerals. Of the nearly 6000 km. coastal length of the country nearly one
third has been explored so far and a large tonnages of these
minerals established.
Uses
The beach sand and inland placer minerals find wide application
in both atomic energy and other industries. The salient uses
of these minerals are:
 Ilmenite:
It is a source mineral for titanium. It is used in garter springs
of a nuclear reactor and as titanium pigment, titanium metal,
and sand blasting
Rutile:
titanium pigment, titanium metal, welding rod flux
Leucoxene:
titanium pigment, welding rod flux
Zircon:
Zircalloys as cladding material for nuclear fuel, opacifier/
pigments for ceramics, refractories, zirconium metal production,
abrasives
Monazite:
source for thorium, rare earth elements
Garnet:
Abrasives
Sillimanite:
Refractories
Resources
 There
are 27 deposits of beach sand and inland placer minerals identified
so far along the coastline and inland placers of India. The total
resources established in these deposits are given in Table.
Policy Resolution on Beach Sand
Minerals
Considering the large resource base of these minerals and growing
demand for their value added products it was decided by the
Government to allow Private Sector participation in this highly
capital intensive field. Accordingly, DAE has issued Policy
Resolution, 1998 allowing participation of entrepreneurs
in
(i) Mining and Mineral separation
(ii) Value addition per se to the products of (i) above
(iii) Integrated activities (Comprising both (i) and (ii) above)
Executive Summaries
Various summary and detailed reports on beach sand mineral deposits
are now made available to entrepreneurs on payment basis at
a cost which will be intimated on specific request. The list
of executive summaries currently available for sale are
given in Table.
The reports on any other area, not listed above, can be generated
by AMD on specific request.
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