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Dosman Mangisi, Mining Correspondent
ZIMBABWE stands to benefit immensely from exploitation and value addition of antimony and tantalite minerals, the Minerals Marketing Corporation of Zimbabwe (MMCZ) says.
In a document presented ahead of the 2016 pre-budget consultations in Kadoma recently, MMCZ described the two minerals as resources for the future in consideration of an anticipated rise in global demand for the minerals by the fast growing information communication technology industry.
“Industrial and technological minerals like tantalite and antimony provide opportunities for value addition and beneficiation because of the rising demand on the global market for fast growing information and technology industries and their use of clean energy,” reads the document.
“They have been described as the minerals of the future and Zimbabwe still has vast deposits of these minerals yet to be exploited.”
Tantalite and antimony are mainly used in promoting green technology.
Tantalite is mainly used in the manufacture of small-sized electrolytic capacitors and high power resistors. Its size and weight
makes its capacitors attractive for many portable electronic devices including cell phones, personal computers and ipad screens to mention a few.
Tantalite is found in Mberengwa, Bikita, Mutoko and Seke. Antimony, an lustrous gray metalloid, is found in nature mainly as a sulfide mineral. It is extracted primarily from stibnite, which contains 72 percent of the mineral and 28 percent sulphur.
It is used for many technological and industrial purposes as a hardening alloy for lead especially storage batteries and cable sheaths as well as bearing metal, solder and semi conductor technology.
In Zimbabwe antimony reserves are found in the Great Dyke, which passes through Kwekwe, Bubi, Mberengwa, Kadoma and Shurugwi.
Mines Mining Development Minister Walter Chidhakwa is on record as urging small scale miners to venture into tantalite mining, which promises to be lucrative.
Online Reporter