Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-dk4vv Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T13:56:39.277Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Geochemical and mineralogical characterization of the Jabal Al-Harad kaolin deposit, southern Jordan, for its possible utilization

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2018

M. Gougazeh  and
J.-Ch. Buhl
M. Gougazeh*
Affiliation:
Natural Resources and Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tafila Technical University, P. O. Box 179 Tafila 66110, Jordan
J.-Ch. Buhl
Affiliation:
Institute of Mineralogy, Leibniz University Hannover, Callinstr. 3, D-30167 Hannover, Germany
*
*E-mail: dr_eng_mhag@yahoo.com
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Kaolin is found in deposits of economic concentration in the Jabal Al-Harad/ Batn El-Ghoul area in southern Jordan. Ten representative kaolin samples were collected from the area and investigated for their mineralogical and chemical composition. Mineral characterization was carried using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetrical analysis (TGA), differential thermal analysis (DTA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) studies were conducted to determine the chemical composition of the kaolin deposits. Kaolinite was the predominant mineral, followed by quartz, with traces of illite-muscovite, Fe-bearing minerals (hematite), anatase and feldspar. The average chemical composition of the kaolin samples was 58.02 wt.% SiO2, 28.00% Al2O3, 1.48% Fe2O3, 1.26% TiO2 and 0.41% K2O (ignited basis). Dehydroxylation and mullitization temperatures (from DTA) were close to the theoretical values. Hexagonal booklets and stacks of kaolinite, as well as individual platelets, were present in the Jabal Al-Harad kaolin. Based on granulometric and descriptive mineralogical analyses, the mineral assemblages and kaolinite morphology, the Jabal Al-Harad kaolin deposit is thought to have originated from greatly weathered surfaces related to the Precambrian basement rocks. The kaolin was found to be suitable for manufacturing of common bricks, medium-fired bricks and sanitary ware, although a beneficiation process would be required; it could also be used in the refractory, white cement, paper and advanced ceramic industries.

Keywords

Jabal Al-Harad depositJordankaolinkaolinitemineralogyiron oxidesstructural ironceramics
Type
Research Article
Information
Clay Minerals , Volume 45 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 301 - 314
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abu Salah, A. & Ghannam, A. (2001) Kaolin deposit in Batn El-Ghoul (Jabal Al-Harad area). NRA, Internal Report, Amman-Jordan.Google Scholar
Bender, F. (1974) Geology of Jordan. Gebrueder Borntraeger, Berlin, Germany, 196pp.Google Scholar
Bennett, H. & Reed, R.A. (1971) Chemical Methods of Silicate Analysis. Academic Press, London, 272 pp.Google Scholar
Bothe, H.G., Kröck, H.J. & Strübel, G. (1984) Untersuchungen zur Veräenderung der Rheologie eines Kaolins von Hirschau, TIZ-Fachberichte, 108, no. 3, 143–148.Google Scholar
Bundy, W.M. (1993) The diverse industrial applications of kaolin. Pp. 43–47 in: Kaolin Genesis and Utilization (Murray, H.H., Bundy, W., & Harvey, C., editors), Clay Mineral Society, Special Publication 1, Boulder, Colorado, USA.Google Scholar
Chapman, G.P. (1983) Mica. Pp. 915–929 in: Industrial Minerals and Rocks (LeFond, S.J., editor) AIME, Society of Mining Engineers, USA.Google Scholar
Chen, C.Y., Lan, G.S. & Tuan, W.H. (2000) Microstructural evolution of mullite during the sintering of kaolin powder compacts. Ceramics International, 26, 715–720.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chen, P.Y., Lin, M.X. & Zheng, Z. (1997) On the origin of the name kaolin and the kaolin deposit of the Kauling and Dazhou area, Kiangsi, China. Applied Clay Science, 12, 1–25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Delineau, T., Allard, T., Muller, J.P., Barres, O., Yvon, J. & Cases, J.M. (1994) FTIR reflectance vs. EPR studies of structural iron in kaolinites. Clays and Clay Minerals, 42, 308–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ekosse, G. (2000) The Makoro kaolin deposit, south-eastern Botswana: its genesis and possible industrial applications. Applied Clay Science, 16, 301–320.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farmer, V.C. (1979) Infrared spectroscopy. Pp. 285–337 in: Data Handbook for Clay Minerals and Other Non-metallic Minerals (van Olphen, H. & Fripiat, J.J., editors). Pergamon Press, New York, USA.Google Scholar
Fialips, G.C. (1999) Etude expeérimentale de la cristallinité et des conditions de formation de la kaolinite. Doctoral thesis, University of Poitiers, France.Google Scholar
Fischer, P. (1984) Some comments on the color of fired clays. Ziegelindustrie International, 37, 475–483.Google Scholar
Gougazeh, M. (1991) Geology, mineralogy, geochemistry and evaluation of kaolinite and silica sand of white sandstone in south Jordan for industrial applications. MSc. thesis, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan, 261pp.Google Scholar
Gougazeh, M. (2001) Kaolin and feldspar deposits in Jordan: characterization, mining, beneficiation and upgrading process technology, production and economic evaluation for industrial utilization. PhD. dissertation, Verlag Mainz, Wissenschaftsverlag, Aachen, Germany, 420 pp.Google Scholar
Hu, Y. & Liu, X. (2003) Chemical composition and surface property of kaolins. Minerals Engineering, 16, 1279–1284.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hughes, J.C. & Brown, G. (1979) A crystallinity index for soil kaolins and its relation to parent rock, climate and soil maturity. Journal of Soil Science, 30, 557–563.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jackson, M.L. (1975) Soil Chemical Analysis — Advanced Course. Madison, Wisconsin, USA, 895pp.Google Scholar
Khoury, H. & El-Sakka, W. (1986) Mineralogical and industrial characterization of Batn El-Ghoul clay deposits, southern Jordan. Applied Clay Science, 1, 321–351.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masri, A. (1998) Geological map of Batn al Ghul (Jabal Al-Harad). Map sheet No. 3149-11, 1:50,000, National Mapping Project, NRA, Geological Directorate, Geological Map Division, Amman, Jordan.Google Scholar
Murray, H.H. (1991) Overview: Clay mineral application. Applied Clay Science, 5, 379–395.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Murray, H.H. & Keller, W.D. (1993) Kaolins, kaolins and kaolins. Pp. 1–24 in: Kaolin Genesis and Utilization (Murray, H.H., Bundy, W., & Harvey, C., editors), Clay Mineral Society, Special Publication, 1, Boulder, Colorado, USA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Norrish, K. & Hutton, J.T. (1969) An accurate X-ray spectrographic method for the analysis of a wide range of geological samples. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Ada, 33, 431–453.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olphen, H.V. & Fripiat, J.J. (1979) Data Handbook for Clay Minerals and Other Non-metallic Minerals. Pergamon Press, UK.Google Scholar
Qtaitat, M.A. & Al-Trawneh, I.N. (2005) Characterization of kaolinite of the Baten El-Ghoul region/south Jordan by infrared spectroscopy. Spectrochimica Acta, Part A, 61, 1519–1523.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, J.D. (1987) Infrared methods. Pp. 133–173 in: A Handbook of Determinative Methods in Clay Mineralogy (Wilson, M.J., editor). Chapman & Hall, London.Google Scholar
Smykatz-Kloss, W. (1975) Differential Thermal Analysis, Application and Results in Mineralogy. Springer, New York, USA.Google Scholar
Schultz, L.G. (1964) Quantitative interpretation of mineralogical composition from X-ray and chemical data for the Pierre Shale. U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 391-C, 31 pp.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Weaver, C.E. (1989) Clays, Muds and Shales. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Worrall, W.E. (1975) Clays and Ceramic Raw Materials. Applied Science Publishers, London.Google Scholar
Worrall, W.E. (1982) Ceramic Raw Materials, 2nd edition. Pergamon Press, UK.Google Scholar