Mineral Sands
A sampler of mildly radioactive mineral sands mined locally.
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These produce compounds such as titanium from sands containing rutile and ilmenite. Zirconium is produced from zircon ore. They are mildly radioactive. The Iluka company sample pack gives the following readings:
Ore as mined 103 CPM
Heavy mineral concentrate 128 CPM
Ilmenite (Fe. TiO3) 81 CPM
Rutile (TiO2) 81 CPM
Leucoxene (Fe. TiO3 TiO2) 84 CPM
Synthetic Rutile (TiO2) 77 CPM
Zircon (ZrSiO4) 185 CPM
These were measured on my Geiger counter. I used a lead sheet on either side of each individual sample to prevent “crosstalk”.
It appears to be gamma radiation and passes through a thin aluminium sheet.
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Photo Date: 2006