Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences
School of Physical Sciences
Department of Geology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
Investigations of the mechanism of disintegration of titania slags helped to prevent catastrophic decrepitation when solid slags are cooled to room temperature. Disintegration generates fine-grained material that is unsuitable for further chemical processing to produce white pigments, and this has to be sold at reduced prices.
Ondersoeke na die meganisme van die verbrokkeling van titaanslakke het verdere verbrokkeling gedurende die afkoeling van gesmelte slak verhoed. Verbrokkeling het die oormatige produksie van fyn stof tot gevolg en dit maak die materiaal ongeskik vir verdere chemiese prosessering tot wit pigment, wat derhalwe verkoop moet word teen laer pryse.
Contact person: Prof JPR de Villiers.
Continued research on the Bushveld magmatic event confirmed the widespread emplacement of a mildly alkaline mafic magma in the floor rocks of the Bushveld Complex. The resulting rocks typically are titanium-rich, hornblende diorite or andesite, and have a tendency to show copper mineralization. Indications are that the relevant magma was emplaced during the early stages of the formation of the Rustenburg Layered Suite.
Voortgesette navorsing op die Bosveldse magmatiese gebeurtenis het die wydverspreide inplasing van ‘n swak-alkaliese mafiese magma in die vloergesteentes van die Bosveldkompleks bevestig. Die rotse is tipies titaanryke horingblendediorite of -andesite, en het 'n geneigdheid om kopermineralisasie te dra. Aanduidings is dat die betrokke magma ingedring het tydens die vroeë stadiums van vorming van die Rustenburgse Gelaagde Suite.
Contact person: Prof SA de Waal.
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