Weathering of ilmenite from Chavara deposit and its comparison with Manavalakurichi placer ilmenite, southwestern India

The magnetic fractions of ilmenite from the beach placer deposit of Chavara, southwest India have been studied for mineralogical and chemical composition to assess the range of their physical and chemical variations with weathering. Chavara deposit represents a highly weathered and relatively homogenous concentration. Significant variation in composition has been documented with alteration. The most magnetic of the fractions of ilmenite, separated at 0.15 Å, and with a susceptibility of 3.2 × 10−6 m3 kg−1, indicates the presence of haematite–ilmenite intergrowth. An iron-poor, titanium-rich component of the ilmenite ore has been identified from among the magnetic fractions of the Chavara ilmenite albeit with an undesirably high Nb2O5 (0.28%), Cr2O3 (0.23%) and Th (149 ppm) contents. The ilmenite from Chavara is compared with that from the nearby Manavalakurichi deposit of similar geological setting and provenance. The lower ferrous iron oxide (2.32–14.22%) and higher TiO2 (56.31–66.45%) contents highlight the advanced state of alteration of Chavara. This is also evidenced by the relatively higher Fe3+/Fe2+ ratio compared to Manavalakurichi ilmenite. In fact, the ilmenite has significantly been converted to pseudorutile/leucoxene.