1920.] 
Heskett — Smelting Titaniferous Ironsands. 
Ill 
SMELTING THE TITANIFEROUS IRONSANDS OF 
NEW ZEALAND.* * * § 
By J. A. Heskett, M. Am. Inst. Min. & Met. Engrs. 
The titaniferous ironsands of Taranaki are composed of combined magnetite 
and ilmenite, or more probably form a chemical compound of the double 
oxides of iron and titanium,f since the ilmenite cannot be separately 
detected by the microscope nor separated by wet or dry magnetic con¬ 
centration, wherein these sands differ from the St. Lawrence deposits.J 
Fig. 1.—View of locality, showing basin where sand is trapped for supply to works. 
The deposits probably originated in volcanic upheavals at sea of molten 
oxides which were granulated by contact with the cold water and are 
accordingly in a fine state of subdivision, passing freely through a 40-mesh 
sieve.§ The ironsand is mixed with various proportions of fine shell and 
* A resume of experiments carried out by the New Zealand Iron-ore Smelting and 
Manufacturing Company (Limited) at New Plymouth, 1914-19. 
t Ilmenite and magnetite are minerals of distinct chemical structure and crystallo¬ 
graphic system, and, if occurring together in a sand, should be distinguishable by 
microscopic methods and separable by processes of magnetic concentration. From the 
author’s statements it would appear that the New Zealand sand contains no ilmenite, 
but is composed of titaniferous magnetite, a mineral in which a limited amount of 
titanium replaces iron, though it has the crystal form and chemical structure of 
magnetite.— Ed. 
t Magnetic Ironsands of Natashkwan, Canada, Department cf Mines, Bull. No. 145, 
1912. 
§ The commonly accepted geological explanation of the deposits of ironsand is 
that the magnetite has been derived from the tuffs and lavas of Egmont by ordinary 
weathering and erosion, and has been first concentrated by stream and wave action, 
then uplifted on raised beaches, and further concentrated by wind-action. 
