Mineral Research Institute at Chavara
REPORT ON Date: 11-11-2008

State Science Technology and Environment Council will oversee the setting up of the first Mineral sand Research Institute in the State at Chavara. The State Science and Technology Department has started taking necessary steps for the purpose. A 16 acre area under the Chavara KMM Limited on the eastern flank of NH-47 in front of it is to be chosen as its site. There are infinite economic possibilities for research in the rare mineral sands on the shore of Kerala. Water Resources Minister Shri. N.K. Premachandran has already expressed the hope that the Institute can be kickstarted in January next year.

The Institute is being established with the specific aim of developing the best sort of technology to create value-added products from the rare minerals processed from the sand. As it is, value-added products are made only from Ilmenite. There is no technology in the country at present for utilizing Zircon, rutile and silmenite for making new products.

The estimated expenditure of the project is Rs.60 crores. In the first phase of the project consisting of the study of value-added products an expenditure of Rs.25 crore is anticipated. In the second phase the application of new technology will be adopted. The expenditure for the first phase will be met by the State Government. Central Government is to be approached for grants for the different schemes of the Institute. The value-added products to be developed with the new technology evolved by the Institute will be considered as the inventions of the Institute.

It is also proposed to set up a nano technology institute along with the first Mineral Sand Research Institute at Chavara.

The first Mineral Sand Research Institute in the State is proposed to come into being in the first half of next year. The purpose of the Institute is to develop appropriate technology for developing value-added products from such rare minerals as Zircon, rutile, silmenite etc. At present there is no technology in the country for the purpose. The new products to be made under the new technology will be the Institute’s inventions.

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