Scribd
Upload
219 views

High PurityLimestone Applications

The document discusses assessing high-purity limestone resources from exploration to market. It outlines exploration, sampling, testing methods and criteria for purity classification. Several high-purity limestone deposits are identified in Saudi Arabia, with one considered very high-purity. National geosurveys play a key role in maintaining knowledge of industrial mineral resources.

Uploaded by

navna
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
219 views

High PurityLimestone Applications

The document discusses assessing high-purity limestone resources from exploration to market. It outlines exploration, sampling, testing methods and criteria for purity classification. Several high-purity limestone deposits are identified in Saudi Arabia, with one considered very high-purity. National geosurveys play a key role in maintaining knowledge of industrial mineral resources.

Uploaded by

navna
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 20

High-purity limestone assessment : from mine to market

Clive Mitchell
Industrial Minerals Specialist, British Geological Survey Email: [email protected] Website: www.mineralsuk.com

NERC All rights reserved

Outline

Introduction Limestone uses Planning Exploration Evaluation High-purity limestone in Saudi Arabia Conclusions

NERC All rights reserved

Introduction

High-purity limestone >97% CaCO3 (Calcium
Carbonate)

Suitability defined by industrial end-use Chemical, mineralogical & physical properties Assessment is guided by industrial requirements National Geosurvey role Mineral promotion

NERC All rights reserved

Applications

Limestone has more uses than any other IM Low value, bulk volume construction material
e.g. aggregate, ballast, dimension stone

High value, lower volume speciality mineral


e.g. GCC & PCC (Ground & Precipitated Calcium Carbonate)

High-purity limestone used for lime, glass, metallurgical flux, FGD, sugar refining, mineral fillers (GCC & PCC) and calcium chemicals

NERC All rights reserved

NERC All rights reserved

Planning

High-purity resources in low-grade uses is an issue


e.g. Carboniferous limestone in the UK used as speciality mineral and construction aggregate

Many consider this an inefficient use of resources Strategic value of high-purity resources UK Mineral Safeguarding Areas, avoid sterilisation Competing land use with other environmental designations
e.g. National Parks & AONBs

NERC All rights reserved

Exploration

Exploration starts with existing geological information Calcium carbonate deposits can occur as:

Sedimentary (limestone, chalk, shell, travertine, vein & marl) Metamorphic (marble) Igneous (carbonatite) Other carbonate minerals (dolomite, siderite) Silica (quartz, chert) Clay minerals (kaolinite, illite, smectite) Mineralisation (fluorite, galena, sphalerite) Organic matter Others (pyrite, iron oxides, etc)

Mineral impurities include:

NERC All rights reserved

NERC All rights reserved

Sampling limestone in Zambia (2000) and Afghanistan (2007)

Fieldwork & sampling

NERC All rights reserved

Reconnaissance Survey

National Geosurvey explore at national/ regional scale Prioritisation of potential high-purity resources GIS of existing information Field work to collect (representative) samples Technical testing:

XRF XRD TGA Whiteness (Brightness)

NERC All rights reserved

NERC All rights reserved

Portable XRF (used in recent limestone survey)

Laboratory Testwork

NERC All rights reserved

Chemical composition
Oxide
SiO2

Wt %
<2.0

Oxide
Na2O

Wt %
<0.1

Oxide
BaO

Wt %
<0.1

TiO2
Al2O3 Fe2O3

<0.1
<0.3 <1.0

K2O
P2O5 SO3

<0.1
<0.1 <0.5

NiO
CuO ZnO

<0.1
<0.1 <0.1

Mn3O4
MgO CaO

<0.1
<3.0 >54.3

Cr2O3
SrO ZrO2

<0.1
<0.2 <0.1

PbO
LOI Total

<0.1
>42.7 100.0

Typical chemical composition of high-purity limestone; standard range of major element oxides analysed by XRF at BGS.

NERC All rights reserved

Calcium Carbonate content


Limestone classification
100% limestone
Very high purity High purity Medium purity Low purity Impure

CaO
(wt%)

CaCO3
(wt %)

56.03
> 55.2 54.3 - 55.2 52.4 - 54.3 47.6 - 52.4 < 47.6

100.0
> 98.5 97.0 - 98.5 93.5 - 97.0 85.0 - 93.5 < 85.0

NERC All rights reserved

Other Criteria
Purity classification
Very high purity High purity Medium purity Low purity Impure

MgO
(wt%) < 0.8 < 1.0 < 3.0 > 3.0

SiO2
(wt%) < 0.2 < 0.6 < 1.0 < 2.0 > 2.0

Fe2O3
(wt%) < 0.05 < 0.1 < 1.0 > 1.0

NERC All rights reserved

Mineral Promotion

Resource maps and reports Web pages/ downloads: www.mineralsuk.com Workshops and seminars

NERC All rights reserved

Saudi High-purity Limestone


Deposit
Al Kharj: Umm al Ghirban (Aruma Fm) Al Kharj (Tuwaiq Mountain Limestone) Al Kharj (Salaiy Fm) Riyadh area: Khasm Mazali (Sulaiy Fm) Riyadh area: Sudus (Tuwaiq Fm) Wadi at Tarbah area: Umm Waal Ad Dammam area (Middle Eocene) Red Sea Coast Wadi Misser (Shayban Fm) Red Sea Coast Wadi Minsah (Proterozoic)

CaO
Wt% 54.13 55.0 54.42 53.4-55.6 54.87 > 55 51.8 49.6 55

MgO
Wt% 0.26 0.38 0.35 0.2 0.07 n/a 1.17 3.23 0.6

SiO2
Wt% 0.52 0.94 0.7

Fe2O3 Purity
Wt% 0.09 0.27 0.06 High Medium to high High

0.1-0.56 0.08-0.13 High to very high 1.18 <5 1.5 1.4 0.7 0.1 n/a 0.25 n/a 0.4 Medium to high Medium to high Low Low Medium to high

Red Sea Coast Ras Marjah (Quaternary)

47.15

2.2

1.7

n/a

Low

Limestone data from: Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1994) Limestone and dolomite. Chapter 24 in Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, Directorate General of Mineral Resources, Special Publication SP-2, p.162-172.

NERC All rights reserved

Saudi High-purity Limestone



Purity by lime, magnesia, silica & Iron oxide contents Several are not high-calcium limestones
(require 97% CaCO3, equivalent to 54.3% CaO)

Only one limestone considered very high-purity Khasm Mazali, Riyadh area
(Lower Cretaceous, Sulaiy Formation)

Micritic (very fine grained), homogeneous, cohesive limestone with enormous potential resources
(Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources (1994) Limestone and dolomite. Chapter 24 in Mineral Resources of Saudi Arabia, Directorate General of Mineral Resources, Special Publication SP-2, p.162-172)

NERC All rights reserved

Conclusions

Limestone resources are often widespread National Geosurveys work at reconnaissance scale Technical assessment needs market information Ongoing challenge to maintain knowledge base Laboratory capabilities a key component Outputs largely via the web (www.mineralsuk.com)

NERC All rights reserved

Thank you for your attention


Clive Mitchell
Industrial Minerals Specialist British Geological Survey Keyworth, Nottingham, UK NG12 5GG

Tel. Email: Web:

+44 (0)115 936 3257 [email protected] www.mineralsuk.com

NERC All rights reserved

You might also like