Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Titanium

Ilmenite (FeTiO₃) and Rutile (TiO₂) are titanium-bearing minerals abundantly found in coastal beach sand deposits of India. These minerals are rich sources of titanium and are processed to extract titanium dioxide, which is further refined to produce metallic titanium used in aerospace, medical, and industrial applications.

📝 Short Notes: Beach Sand Minerals of India

• Heavy Minerals: Beach sands in India contain seven major heavy minerals—ilmenite, leucoxene, rutile, zircon, sillimanite, garnet, and monazite.
• Titanium Minerals: Ilmenite (FeTiO₃) and Rutile (TiO₂) are the primary sources of titanium; leucoxene is an altered form of ilmenite with higher TiO₂ content.
• Major Coastal Deposits: Found along the coasts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, particularly in areas like Chavara, Manavalakurichi, and Chatrapur.
• Uses of Titanium: Known for high strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance; used in aerospace components, medical implants, pigments (TiO₂), and defense applications.
• Other Economic Minerals: Zircon (zirconium source), Monazite (thorium and rare earths), Garnet (abrasives), and Sillimanite (refractories).
• Extraction Method: Beach sand mining involves dredging, followed by gravity and magnetic separation to concentrate heavy minerals.