UPSC Prelims 2023 Question 6: 

Ilmenite and rutile, abundantly available in certain coastal tracts of India, are rich sources of which one of the following?

Let us look at the explanation of the answer.

Explanation:

Ilmenite and Rutile are minerals classified as heavy minerals. They are integral components of beach sand deposits found along the coastal stretches of India. Ilmenite is represented chemically as FeO.TiO2 and rutile as TiO2. Both these minerals are rich in Titanium. Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the key component in these minerals. These resources have significant industrial applications, particularly in the production of titanium metal, titanium dioxide pigments, and various aerospace and industrial applications.

What are Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are dense metallic elements or compounds that typically have a high atomic number and density. In the context of beach sand deposits and heavy mineral sands, heavy metals often refer to minerals like ilmenite, rutile, zircon, leucoxene (brown ilmenite), sillimanite, garnet and monazite that are concentrated due to their weight and density.

Areas where Ilmenite and Rutile can be found in India

Ilmenite and rutile, along with other heavy minerals, are primarily sourced from beach sand deposits. These deposits are located along the coastal stretches of India and are also found in inland placers. Ilmenite and rutile deposits are concentrated in five distinct zones along the Indian coastline:

1. Chavara deposit in Kerala.
2. MK deposit in Tamil Nadu.
3. OSCOM deposit in Odisha.
4. Brahmagiri deposit in Odisha.
5. Bhavanapadu coast in Andhra Pradesh.