💎 Nigerian Zircon Sand Supplier & Exporter
Augustina Impex Limited — ZrO₂ 30%–50% | Jos Plateau, Nigeria | Ex-Works (EXW) | Pay on Lab Test Results After Warehouse Inspection | NEPC RE No. 0039421
💎 Zircon Sand — From Nigeria's Heavy Mineral Sands Belt
Augustina Impex Limited (RC 750691 | NEPC RE No. 0039421) is a verified Nigerian exporter of zircon sand, sourced from heavy mineral sands (HMS) operations in the Jos Plateau region, Plateau State, Nigeria. Our zircon sand is available with ZrO₂ content of 30%–50% and is offered exclusively on Ex-Works (EXW) Incoterms, giving buyers full control of logistics and freight.
We operate a buyer-protective payment structure: payment is only made after the buyer's own representative visits our production partner's warehouse, physically inspects the material, draws samples, and receives a satisfactory laboratory test report confirming grade. No advance payment is required before inspection and testing. This transparent, buyer-first commercial model reflects our confidence in the quality and consistency of our Nigerian zircon sand supply. Contact us today to request a formal Soft Corporate Offer (SCO).
30%–50%
ZrO₂ Grade Range Available
0%
Advance Payment — None Required
HMS
Heavy Mineral Sands Origin, Jos Plateau
NEPC
RE No. 0039421 Licensed Exporter
📊 Buyer-Protective Payment Process
Unlike the advance payment model common in many African mineral trading relationships, Augustina Impex Limited's zircon sand supply operates under a fully transparent, buyer-protective payment structure. Payment is only triggered after the buyer has had a direct, physical opportunity to inspect the material and receive an independent laboratory test report. This process is outlined below:
📋 Zircon Sand Payment & Inspection Process — Step by Step
1
SCO Issued — Buyer Reviews Offer
Augustina Impex Limited issues a formal Soft Corporate Offer (SCO) covering ZrO₂ grade, volume, EXW pricing, and warehouse location. Buyer reviews and confirms interest.
2
Buyer's Representative Visits the Warehouse
The buyer dispatches their authorised representative to our production partner's warehouse in Nigeria. The representative physically views the zircon sand stockpile, confirms quantity, and observes product condition firsthand.
3
Samples Drawn & Submitted to Laboratory
The buyer's representative (or a jointly appointed inspector) draws representative samples from the stockpile. Samples are submitted to an accredited independent laboratory (SGS, Bureau Veritas, CCIC, or equivalent) for ZrO₂ content and mineral analysis.
4
Laboratory Test Report Released
The independent laboratory releases its official test report confirming the ZrO₂ grade and mineral composition of the sampled material. Both buyer and seller receive the report simultaneously.
5
Payment Released on Acceptance
If the laboratory test results are satisfactory and meet the SCO specification, the buyer releases 100% T/T payment immediately. Goods are then released to the buyer's appointed carrier for loading and shipment on EXW terms.
6
Export Documentation Issued & Goods Shipped
Full export documentation package issued: NESS Certificate, NEPC Certificate, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, and Form NXP. Buyer's carrier loads and ships on EXW terms.
✔ Why This Payment Model Protects Buyers
The warehouse-inspection-then-pay model is one of the most buyer-protective commercial structures in the international solid mineral trade. It means:
● You see the material before you pay — no blind advance payments based on documents alone.
● You test the material before you pay — independent laboratory confirmation of ZrO₂ grade before funds are released.
● You only pay if satisfied — if the lab results do not meet the agreed specification, no payment obligation arises.
● Zero advance payment risk — your capital is not committed until physical and laboratory verification is complete.
This model reflects Augustina Impex Limited's commitment to transparency and our confidence in the quality of our Nigerian zircon sand supply.
What Is Zircon Sand?
Zircon is a zirconium silicate mineral with the chemical formula ZrSiO₄. It is a tetragonal heavy mineral that forms as an accessory mineral in igneous and metamorphic rocks, and concentrates in alluvial and beach placer deposits through the same gravitational separation processes that produce ilmenite, rutile, and monazite accumulations in heavy mineral sand (HMS) deposits. Zircon is one of the world's most geologically stable minerals, chemically inert, highly refractory (melting point ~2,550°C), and resistant to chemical attack — properties that make it invaluable across a wide range of demanding industrial applications.
Zircon's economic significance derives from three primary properties: its high ZrO₂ content (typically 65–67% ZrO₂ in pure zircon, lower in sand concentrates containing other minerals), its extreme refractoriness, and its chemical purity relative to the zirconium ores from which zirconia (ZrO₂) ceramics and zirconium metal are ultimately produced. The zircon sand market is one of the most tightly supplied critical mineral markets globally, with production dominated by Australia, South Africa, and increasingly, West Africa — of which Nigeria is an emerging supply source.
In the Jos Plateau region of Plateau State, Nigeria, zircon sand occurs as a co-product of heavy mineral sands (HMS) operations — produced alongside ilmenite, rutile, monazite, and garnet from alluvial HMS deposits. Our partner HMS processing plant in Jos uses gravity separation, magnetic separation, and electrostatic separation technologies to produce a zircon sand concentrate from the heavy mineral fraction of the processed ore, with the resulting ZrO₂ content of the concentrate varying between 30% and 50% depending on the feed material grade and processing parameters.
📊 Product Specification
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|
| Mineral | Zircon (ZrSiO₄) — Zirconium Silicate |
| ZrO₂ Grade | 30%–50% (confirmed by independent laboratory assay per lot) |
| Product Type | Zircon Sand Concentrate — HMS-derived heavy mineral fraction |
| Processing Method | Gravity Separation | Magnetic Separation | Electrostatic Separation |
| Co-Product Minerals | Ilmenite, Rutile, Monazite, Garnet (separated at processing plant) |
| Origin | Jos Plateau region, Plateau State, Nigeria |
| Production Partner | HMS Processing Plant, Jos, Plateau State (operated by Eliezer Onah) |
| Available Volume | Confirmed at SCO stage — contact us for current stockpile availability |
| Incoterms | EXW — Ex-Works (Production Partner's Warehouse, Jos, Nigeria) |
| Payment | 100% T/T upon buyer's representative inspection & satisfactory lab test report |
| Pre-Payment Inspection | Buyer's representative visits warehouse | Independent lab assay (SGS/BV/CCIC) |
| Export Entity | Jase Odus Nigeria Limited (RC 2022462) |
| Export Compliance | NESS Certificate | NEPC RE No. 0039421 | Form NXP | Certificate of Origin |
| Packaging | Jumbo bags (1MT) or as agreed with buyer |
🏭 Processing — How Our Zircon Sand Is Produced
🏭 HMS Processing Plant, Jos, Plateau State
Our zircon sand is produced by our partner HMS Processing Plant in Jos, Plateau State — a mechanised mineral processing facility that handles alluvial heavy mineral sand feed material from the Jos Plateau region. The plant operates a multi-stage separation circuit:
● Stage 1 — Gravity Separation: Spiral concentrators and shaking tables process the raw HMS feed, separating high-density heavy minerals (ilmenite, rutile, zircon, monazite, garnet) from lower-density quartz and feldspar gangue by specific gravity differential.
● Stage 2 — Magnetic Separation: Wet High-Intensity Magnetic Separators (WHIMS) and dry magnetic drums separate strongly magnetic minerals (magnetite, ilmenite fraction) from weakly magnetic and non-magnetic minerals, with zircon reporting to the non-magnetic fraction alongside rutile and monazite.
● Stage 3 — Electrostatic Separation: High-tension roll-type electrostatic separators separate conducting minerals (rutile, ilmenite) from non-conducting minerals (zircon, monazite), producing a high-purity zircon-dominant concentrate stream.
The plant is available for toll processing for third-party ore owners who wish to beneficiate their own HMS feed material through the facility.
🔧 Industrial Applications of Zircon Sand
Zircon sand is one of the world's most versatile industrial minerals, with demand distributed across ceramics, foundry, refractories, chemicals, and specialty applications. The following are the primary industrial end-uses driving global zircon demand:
🏠
Ceramic Tile Opacifier (Zircon Flour / Zircon Silicate)
The largest zircon end-use by volume. Zircon is milled to zircon flour (ZrSiO₄ powder) used as an opacifier and whitener in ceramic tile glazes and sanitaryware (bathroom fittings). Zircon provides bright white opacity, chemical durability, and gloss — essential for the global ceramic tile market led by China, India, Brazil, Italy, and Spain.
🔨
Foundry Casting Sand
Zircon sand is used as a high-refractory moulding and core sand in metal casting foundries. Its high thermal stability (MP ~2,550°C), low thermal expansion, and chemical inertness make it ideal for casting steel, aluminium, copper, and iron alloys — particularly for precision investment casting and aerospace component manufacturing.
🔥
Refractory Products
Zircon is used in the manufacture of zircon bricks, zircon ramming mixes, and zircon-based refractory castables for lining high-temperature furnaces, glass-melting tanks, and steel ladles. Zircon's low coefficient of thermal expansion and high corrosion resistance make it superior to many alternative refractory materials in these demanding environments.
💧
Zirconia Chemicals & ZrO₂ Production
Zircon sand is the primary raw material for the production of zirconium chemicals — principally zirconia (ZrO₂) and zirconium oxychloride (ZrOCl₂·8H₂O). Zirconia is used in advanced ceramics (dental crowns, cutting tools), solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC electrolytes), thermal barrier coatings for jet engine components, and catalysis.
🔬
Specialty Glass & Optical Fibres
Zirconia is added to specialty glass formulations to improve chemical resistance, increase refractive index, and enhance mechanical strength. Zirconium compounds are used in the production of optical fibres (where zirconia improves thermal stability) and radiation-resistant glass used in nuclear facility applications.
⚛
Nuclear & Chemical Industry (Zr Metal)
Zirconium metal — produced from zircon via the chlorination-reduction pathway — is used in nuclear reactor core structures (fuel rod cladding, pressure tubes) for its exceptional neutron transparency and corrosion resistance. The chemical industry uses zirconium-lined equipment for handling concentrated acids and other corrosive media.
🌟 Why Source Zircon Sand from Nigeria via Augustina Impex?
✔ Key Advantages for International Buyers
● Zero Advance Payment Risk: Our pay-on-inspection model means you only pay after your representative sees the stock and an independent laboratory confirms the ZrO₂ grade. No financial risk before physical and analytical verification.
● Direct Warehouse Access: Buyers' representatives are welcomed to our production partner's warehouse in Jos, Plateau State, for a firsthand physical inspection — a level of transparency rarely offered in African mineral supply chains.
● HMS Processing Plant Partnership: Our partner HMS plant in Jos operates established gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation circuits — producing consistent, mechanically processed zircon sand concentrate from Nigerian HMS feed, with no chemical treatment.
● Supply Chain Diversification: Zircon production is globally concentrated in Australia (Iluka Resources, Tronox) and South Africa (Richards Bay Minerals). Nigerian-origin zircon sand offers ceramic, foundry, and chemical buyers an alternative supply source to reduce concentration risk.
● No NORM Complications: Unlike monazite sand (which is NORM-classified), zircon sand is not classified as a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material requiring special nuclear authority import permits. Standard commodity import procedures apply.
● Full Nigerian Export Documentation: NESS Certificate, NEPC Registration, Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, and Form NXP — a complete, internationally bankable documentation set for every shipment.
📦 Commercial Terms
📦 Commercial Framework — Nigerian Zircon Sand
ZrO₂ Grade: 30%–50% (confirmed by independent assay on each lot)
Incoterms: EXW — Ex-Works (Production Partner's Warehouse, Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria)
Payment Trigger: 100% T/T payment released by buyer upon satisfactory independent lab test report, following buyer's representative physical warehouse inspection
Advance Payment: NOT required — no funds committed before inspection and lab testing
Inspection Procedure: Buyer's representative visits warehouse → physical inspection → samples drawn → submitted to accredited laboratory (SGS / BV / CCIC or equivalent) → test report released → payment on acceptance
Minimum Order: Confirmed at SCO stage — subject to current stockpile availability
Export Entity: Jase Odus Nigeria Limited (RC 2022462)
Documentation: NESS Certificate | NEPC RE No. 0039421 | Lab Test Report | Commercial Invoice | Packing List | Certificate of Origin | Form NXP
📋 How to Request a Soft Corporate Offer (SCO)
1
Contact Us With Your Requirements
Reach us via WhatsApp (+234 906 090 4274) or email (augustinaimpex@gmail.com). Provide your target ZrO₂ grade, required volume (MT), destination port, and company details.
2
Receive Your SCO Within 48 Hours
We issue a formal Soft Corporate Offer covering confirmed ZrO₂ grade, volume, EXW pricing, warehouse location, and our inspection-before-payment process.
3
Arrange Your Representative's Visit
Dispatch your authorised representative to our production partner's warehouse in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria, to physically inspect the zircon sand stockpile.
4
Independent Lab Testing
Samples drawn during the warehouse inspection are submitted to an accredited independent laboratory of the buyer's choice. Test report confirming ZrO₂ grade issued within the agreed laboratory turnaround time.
5
Pay on Acceptance — Goods Loaded
On receipt of satisfactory test results, buyer releases 100% T/T payment. Goods are immediately released to buyer's appointed carrier for loading and export on EXW terms. Full documentation package issued simultaneously.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions — Nigerian Zircon Sand
Q1. What ZrO₂ grade is the zircon sand available in?
Our Nigerian zircon sand is available with ZrO₂ content ranging from 30% to 50%, confirmed by independent laboratory assay on each lot. The actual ZrO₂ of any specific lot is determined by the composition of the HMS feed material processed through our partner plant in Jos, Plateau State. The precise grade of the available stockpile is confirmed in our formal Soft Corporate Offer (SCO) and verified by the buyer's independent lab assay during the pre-payment inspection process.
Q2. Do I have to pay in advance before seeing the material?
No. Our zircon sand is offered on a pay-on-inspection basis — meaning your representative physically visits our production partner's warehouse in Jos, draws samples, submits them to an accredited independent laboratory, and payment is only released after you receive and accept the lab test report confirming ZrO₂ grade. Zero advance payment is required before this process is complete. This is one of the most buyer-protective payment structures in the Nigerian solid minerals trade.
Q3. Where is the zircon sand stockpile located?
Our zircon sand supply is stocked at our production partner's warehouse in the Jos, Plateau State area of north-central Nigeria. Jos is the capital of Plateau State and the epicentre of Nigeria's historic and active mining industry. The warehouse location is confirmed in our Soft Corporate Offer and communicated to the buyer's representative upon confirmation of their visit.
Q4. Which laboratory should the buyer use for testing?
The buyer may nominate any accredited independent mineral assay laboratory of their choice — including SGS, Bureau Veritas, CCIC, ALS, Intertek, or any other internationally accredited facility. The buyer's representative draws samples during the warehouse visit and arranges submission to their nominated lab. Both parties receive the test report simultaneously. We do not restrict the buyer's choice of testing laboratory.
Q5. What Incoterms apply to zircon sand sales?
All zircon sand sales from Augustina Impex Limited are made on EXW (Ex-Works) Incoterms, with the delivery point being our production partner's warehouse in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. Under EXW, the buyer is responsible for all export formalities, freight, insurance, and customs from the warehouse onwards. Augustina Impex Limited handles export documentation (NESS, NEPC, Invoice, COO, Form NXP) on behalf of the buyer as part of the transaction.
Q6. Is Nigerian zircon sand NORM-classified like monazite sand?
No. Zircon sand is not classified as a Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) for standard regulatory purposes in most importing countries. While zircon can contain trace levels of radioactive elements as substitutional impurities in its crystal structure (a property called radioactive background), zircon sand at the grades we supply does not trigger NORM import licensing requirements in major importing nations (China, India, EU, South Korea). Standard commodity import procedures apply. Buyers should nonetheless verify with their relevant national authority if in doubt.
Q7. Is the zircon sand chemically treated or processed with reagents?
No. Our partner HMS processing plant in Jos uses exclusively mechanical separation technologies: gravity separation (spiral concentrators), magnetic separation (WHIMS and dry drums), and electrostatic separation (high-tension roll separators). No chemical reagents, acids, alkalis, flotation agents, or solvents are used at any stage of production. The zircon sand concentrate is a mechanically separated, reagent-free product.
Q8. What documentation is provided with a zircon sand shipment?
Every zircon sand export from Augustina Impex Limited is accompanied by: Independent Laboratory Test Report (buyer's nominated lab), Nigerian Export Supervision Scheme (NESS) Certificate, NEPC Export Certificate (RE No. 0039421), Commercial Invoice, Packing List, Certificate of Origin, Form NXP, and Bill of Lading — providing a complete, internationally bankable documentation package for every shipment.
Q9. What is the HMS processing plant in Jos and can it process my ore?
Our partner HMS Processing Plant in Jos, Plateau State, is a mechanised mineral separation facility that processes alluvial heavy mineral sand feed using gravity, magnetic, and electrostatic separation technologies. The plant is available for toll processing — meaning third-party ore owners can send their HMS feed material to the plant for processing and separation into zircon, ilmenite, rutile, and other heavy mineral products. Contact us to discuss toll processing arrangements and capacity availability.
Q10. How do I start the SCO process for zircon sand?
Simply contact us via WhatsApp (+234 906 090 4274) or email (augustinaimpex@gmail.com) with your target ZrO₂ grade, required monthly or one-off volume in metric tonnes, your destination port, and your company name and country. We will issue a formal Soft Corporate Offer (SCO) within 48 business hours, covering confirmed grade, volume, EXW pricing, warehouse inspection logistics, and payment terms.
Augustina Impex Limited | RC 750691 | NEPC Export Registration: RE No. 0039421 (Valid: July 2027) | Export Entity: Jase Odus Nigeria Limited (RC 2022462) | #288 Diye Ward, Zarmaganda, Jos South, Plateau State, Nigeria | augustinaimpex@gmail.com | +234 906 090 4274
