Recycling of Coastal Dredged Sediments from the Northern Nile Delta, Egypt, for Heavy Minerals Exploitation

Mineralogical and textural analyses of 45 undisturbed short cores and 80 grab sediment samples, collected from five frequently dredged navigational areas within harbors and water pathways of the Nile delta littoral system, were utilized for evaluation of these sediments as potential source of economic heavy minerals (EHMs). Results of mineralogical characterization indicate that the average total heavy mineral (HM) concentrations are as follows: Abu Qir Bay (1.7%), Rosetta estuary (3.1%), Burullus fishing port (4.5%), Damietta Harbor (2.9%), and El Gamil lagoon inlet (1.9%). Assessment of HM grades indicates predominance of magnetite, ilmenite, hematite, leucoxene, garnet, zircon, and rutile. Results of the feasibility analysis indicate that dredged sediments at these study areas are considered as a potential source of EHMs and economically promising to be mined for HMs. The present study suggests a practical operative plan of two successive phases for HMs recycling: (1) in-situ initial separation of HMs on the dredger deck using wet-gravity spirals, then (2) transportation of the recovered HM concentrates to an onshore processing plant to selectively separate individual HMs via wet and dry magnetic and electrostatic separators. Alternatively, dredged sediments can be directly pumped to a nearby onshore area as stockpile to be recycled afterward in inland processing plant.