Kenya

In Kenya, sand can be separated grain by grain into raw materials that are sold individually.

Along the coast south of Mombasa are deposits of heavy mineral sand. Mixed among the more common, lighter grains are titanium-bearing grains of ilmenite and rutile, together with zircon grains containing zirconium.

To separate them, the sand is mixed with water. The lighter grains are removed first. The heavier minerals are then separated according to properties including density, magnetism and electrical conductivity.

Ilmenite and rutile are used mainly to produce titanium dioxide, the white pigment found in paint, plastics and many other products. A smaller share is used to make titanium metal. Zircon is used in ceramics and materials that need to withstand very high temperatures.

At Kwale, this kind of mineral sand was extracted for more than a decade. After the valuable mineral grains had been separated, much of the remaining sand was used to refill and rehabilitate the mined area.