Multi-scale analysis of carbon mineralization in lime-treated soils considering soil mineralogy

Mineral carbonation is emerging as a reliable CO_(2) capture technology that can mitigate climate change.In lime-treated clayey soils,mineral carbonation occurs through the carbonation of free lime and cementitious products derived from pozzolanic reactions.The kinetics of the reactions in lime-treated clayey soils are variable and depend primarily on soil mineralogy.The present study demonstrates the role of soil mineralogy in CO_(2) capture and the subsequent changes caused by carbon mineralization in terms of the unconfined compressive strength(UCS)of lime-treated soils during their service life.Three clayey soils(kaolin,bentonite,and silty clay)with different mineralogical characteristics were treated with 4%lime content,and the samples were cured in a controlled environment for 7 d,90 d,180 d,and 365 d.After the specified curing periods,the samples were exposed to CO_(2) in a carbonation cell for 7 d.The non-carbonated samples purged with N2 gas were used as a benchmark to compare the mechanical,chemical-mineralogical,and microstructure changes caused by carbonation reactions.Experimental investigations indicated that exposure to CO_(2) resulted in an average increase of 10%in the UCS of limetreated bentonite,whereas the strength of lime-treated kaolin and silty clay was reduced by an average of 35%.The chemical and microstructural analyses revealed that the precipitated carbonates effectively filled the macropores of the treated bentonite,compared to the inadequate cementation caused by pozzolanic reactions,resulting in strength enhancement.In contrast,strength loss in lime-treated kaolin and silty clay was attributed to the carbonation of cementitious phases and partly to the tensile stress induced by carbonate precipitation.In terms of carbon mineralization prospects,lime-treated kaolin exhibited maximum carbonation due to the higher availability of unreacted lime.The results suggest that,in addition to the increase in compressive strength,adequate calcium-bearing phases and macropores determine the efficiency of carbon mineralization in lime-treated clayey soils.

Depositional Environment and Lithofacies Analyses of Eocene Lacustrine Shale in the Bohai Bay Basin:Insights from Mineralogy and Elemental Geochemistry

The effect of various depositional parameters including paleoclimate,paleosalinity and provenance,on the depositional mechanism of lacustrine shale is very important in reconstructing the depositional environment.The classification of shale lithofacies and the interpretation of shale depositional environment are key features used in shale oil and gas exploration and development activity.The lower 3rd member of the Eocene Shahejie Formation(Es_(3)^(x)shale)was selected for this study,as one of the main prospective intervals for shale oil exploration and development in the intracratonic Bohai Bay Basin.Mineralogically,it is composed of quartz(avg.9.6%),calcite(avg.58.5%),dolomite(avg.7%),pyrite(avg.3.3%)and clay minerals(avg.20%).An advanced methodology(thin-section petrography,total organic carbon and total organic sulfur contents analysis,X-ray diffraction(XRD),X-ray fluorescence(XRF),field-emission scanning electron microscopy(FE-SEM))was adopted to establish shale lithofacies and to interpret the depositional environment in the lacustrine basin.Six different types of lithofacies were recognized,based on mineral composition,total organic carbon(TOC)content and sedimentary structures.Various inorganic geochemical proxies(Rb/Sr,Ca/(Ca+Fe),Ti/Al,Al/Ca,Al/Ti,Zr/Rb)have been used to interpret and screen variations in depositional environmental parameters during the deposition of the Es_(3)^(x)shale.The experimental results indicate that the environment during the deposition of the Es_(3)^(x)shale was warm and humid with heightened salinities,moderate to limited detrital input,higher paleohydrodynamic settings and strong oxygen deficient(reducing)conditions.A comprehensive depositional model of the lacustrine shale was developed.The interpretations deduced from this research work are expected to not only expand the knowledge of shale lithofacies classification for lacustrine fine-grained rocks,but can also offer a theoretical foundation for lacustrine shale oil exploration and development.

Process mineralogy approach to optimize curing-leaching in vanadiumbearing stone coal processing plants

The purpose of this study is to apply process mineralogy as a practical tool to further understand and analyze the reasons for low leaching rates in the curing-leaching process of vanadium-bearing stone coal and to find a solution or improvement to optimize the leaching index.Using vanadium-bearing stone coal with the V2O5 mass fraction of 0.88%as the research object,the effects of particle size,mineral composition,and sulfuric acid curing on the feed,intermediate,and final products of curing-leaching were analyzed.The main vanadium-bearing minerals in the feed samples included sericite/illite,montmorillonite,kaolinite,limonite,and schreyerite.Through the penetration depth analysis of sulfuric acid,the reason for the high vanadium content in the coarse leaching residue(0.205%V2O5)was found,mainly due to the poor curing effect and incomplete washing after screening.Therefore,thorough washing after sieving and further optimizing the curing process are necessary.The vanadium content of the fine leaching residue(0.078%)was low and the curing-leaching effect was good.However,the vanadium content in the thickened residue(0.296%)exceeded that in the fine leaching residue,which was attributed to the neutralization reaction in the#1 thickener.To solve this problem,the neutralization and thickening processes should be performed in separate equipment.The analysis and detection of key products is helpful for identifying problems and improving the curing-leaching circuit process.

Mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermal sulphide from a submarine volcanic high at 18°36.4'S Central Lau Spreading Center, Southwest Pacific

We report the mineralogy and geochemistry of hydrothermal sulphide from the crater of a volcanic high near 18°36.4′S of the Central Lau Spreading Center.During 1990s,that volcanic structure was reported active and sulphide samples were collected by MIR submersible.A section of a chimney-like structure from the crater-floor was studied here.The Fe-depleted sphalerites,and Co-depleted pyrites in that chimney were similar to those commonly found in low to moderate temperature(<300℃)sulphides from sediment-starved hydrothermal systems.Bulk analyses of three parts of that chimney section showed substantial enrichment of Zn(18%–20%)and Fe(14%–27%)but depletion of Cu(0.8%–1.3%).In chondrite-normalized rare earth element-patterns,the significant negative Ce-anomalies(Ce/Ce*=0.27–0.39)and weakly positive Eu-anomalies(Eu/Eu*=1.60–1.68)suggested sulphide mineralisation took place from reduced low-temperature fluid.The depleted concentration of lithophiles in this sulphide indicates restricted contribution of sub-ducting plate in genesis of source fluid as compared to those from other parts of Lau Spreading Centre.Uniform mineralogy and bulk composition of subsamples across the chimney section suggests barely any alteration of fluid composition and/or mode of mineralisation occurred during its growth.

Mineralogy and element geochemistry of the Sohnari rocks of Early Eocene Laki Formation in the Southern Indus Basin,Pakistan:Implications for paleoclimate,paleoweathering and paleoredox conditions

The Sohnari Member of the Early Eocene Laki Formation is massively deposited in the Southern Indus Basin of Pakistan and is considered a potential source rock to generate hydrocarbons.However,the detailed paleoclimatic,paleoweathering,and depositional conditions of the Sohnari Member have not been studied earlier.This research mainly discusses the detailed mineralogical(bulk and clay)and elemental geochemistry of the Laki Formation from two outcrop sections(Jhimpir and Lakhra)in the Southern Indus Basin,Pakistan.The bulk minerals,including quartz(low),hematite,calcite,halite,gypsum,and clay minerals such as kaolinite,chlorite,smectite and illite have been discussed here.These results demonstrate the paleo-environment of studied area was arid with enhanced saline and weak to strong oxidizing depositional conditions.The chemical index of alteration(CIA)values in Jhimpir and Lakhra sections are in the ranges of 41.30-97.93 and 22.30-96.19,respectively,indicating that the Sohnari sediments experienced weak to intense chemical weathering in the source area.The interpretation of the A-CN-K ternary diagram is consistent with the clay mineral contents in the studied sediments,which is characterized by the predominance of kaolinite,gibbsite and chlorite,demonstrating the weak to strong weathering state under warm and humid climatic conditions.The chemical indices such as Sr/Ba,δU,V/Cr,Ni/Co,and Cu/Zn,U/Th and Ba/Ga show that Sohnari rocks of Early Eocene Laki Formation underwent strong evaporation,oxic water column with warm to humid and minor contact of cold climatic conditions.Based on our present data,it can be concluded that the sediments of Sohnari Member of Laki Formation from Jhimpir and Lakhra areas of Southern Indus Basin in Pakistan are related to Indio-Eurasian collision and came from the Indian shield rocks that were deposited in a brackish water body with a minor contact of the freshwater oxidizing paleo-environment depositional conditions.

Technological mineralogy and environmental activity of zinc leaching residue from zinc hydrometallurgical process

Chemical, physical, structural and morphological properties of zinc leaching residue were examined by the combination of various detection means such as AAS, XRF, XRD, M？ssbauer spectrometry, SEM-EDS, TG-DSC, XPS and FTIR. The toxicity characteristic leaching procedure （TCLP） was used to investigate the environmental activity of zinc leaching residue for a short contact time. The phase composition analysis indicated that the zinc leaching residue mainly consists of super refined flocculent particles including zinc ferrite, sulfate and silicate. The physical structural analysis showed that it has a thermal instability and strong water absorption properties. The results of TCLP indicated that the amounts of Zn and Cd in the leaching solution exceed 40 and 90 times of limit, respectively, which demonstrate that this residue is unstable in weak acidic environment for a short contact time.

Process mineralogy characteristics of acid leaching residue produced in low-temperature roasting-acid leaching pretreatment process of refractory gold concentrates

To provide a theoretical basis for a suitable process to extract gold from refractory gold concentrates, process mineralogy on the acid leaching residue of gold calcine was studied by chemical composition, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy-energy spectrum, and mineral dissociation analysis. The results showed that the acid leaching residue contained Au 68.22 g/t, Ag 92.71 g/t, Fe 0.44%, As 0.10%, and S 0.55%. Gold and silver minerals existed as native gold, argentite, and proustite. Quartz, the main gangue mineral, accounted for 78.33 wt/%. The dissociation degree analysis showed that the proportions of monomer and exposed gold in acid leaching residue were 96.66 wt%. The cyanidation results showed that the cyanide gold leaching rate of acid leaching residues was close to 100 wt%. However, the maximum cyanide gold leaching rate of gold calcine was only 85.31 wt%. This suggests that acid leaching can increase the gold dissolution rate in the cyanide process.

Mineralogy and carbothermal reduction behaviour of vanadium-bearing titaniferous magnetite ore in Eastern India

Vanadium-beaxing titaniferous magnetite bands hosted by Precambrian gabbro-norite-anorthositic rocks or their metamorphic equivalents were discovered in some parts of Eastern Indian Shield, containing 48%-49% Fe （total）, 10%-25% TiO2, and 0.3%-2.20% V2O5 by mass. Mineralogical and petrological study, composition, and characterization of the vanadium-bearing titaniferous magnetite ore were carried out by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray （SEM-EDX）, wave length X-ray florescence （WDXRF）, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy （ICP-AES）, X-ray diffraction （XRD）, etc. Chemical beneficiation for valuable metals, such as Fe, Ti, andV, was performed by reduction roasting. The direct and indirect reduction were investigated by mixing the lump ore with solid activated charcoal in a closed reactor and purging the reducing gas mixture in standard reducibility index apparatus at different temperatures and time intervals. The reduction roasting parameters were optimized. Finally, the reduced samples were crushed and upgraded by magnetic separation. The results show that, the maximum mass fractions of magnetic and nonmagnetic parts achieved axe 69.36% and 30.64%, respectively, which contain 10.6% TiO2 and 0.84% V205 in the magnetic part and 36.5% TiO2 and 0.22% V205 in the nonmagnetic part.

Process mineralogy of copper-nickel sulphide flotation by a cyclonic-static micro-bubble flotation column

In our study we investigated a refractory copper-nickel sulfide ore separation by using a cyclonic-static micro-bubble flotation column (FCSMC). The process mineralogy of the main products was studied. Using a scanning electron microscope-energy dispersive system (SEM-EDS) and an X-ray spectrometer the mineral category and content of samples were analyzed. By using a mineral liberation analyzer (MLA) the mineral liberation characteristics were revealed. It is shown that in roughing feed the monomers liberation degree of nickel pyrite and chalcopyrite take up 84.11% and 88.82%, respectively. In tailings, the lost nickel pyrite and chalcopyrite are mainly monomers. Therefore, strengthening the micro-fine particle recovery capacity is the key to increase recovery.

Process mineralogy and characteristic associations of iron and phosphorus-based minerals on oolitic hematite

The chemical compositions,mineralogical characteristics,as well as dissemination of iron-and phosphorus-based minerals were studied for the E’xi oolitic hematite from western Hubei Province in China by using chemical analysis,optical microscope,electron probe micro-analyzer(EPMA)and energy dispersive spectroscopy(EDS).It is found that this kind of oolitic hematite ore contains 47.71%TFe,10.96%SiO_2,as well as 0.874%P,with hematite as the dominant Fe-bearing minerals,and quartz,chamosite,illite and cellophane as main gangue minerals.The microscope examination showed that the ore has an oolitic structure,with some ooids principally formed by a series of concentric layers of hematite collophanite around nucleus that is hematite in the association with collophanite.Based on the EPMA and EDS analysis,it can be known that some ooids are primarily composed of hematite and collophanite.The separation can be achieved through fine grinding for those collophanite laminae with a higher P content.However,the dissemination of two minerals at the interface will result in the difficulty in effective separation.Besides,some ooids are made of chamosite with some nucleus formed of quartz,which is principally finely disseminated with hematite.In view of the close association and dissemination of iron-and phosphorus-based minerals in the ooids,it is found that the process of stage-grindings and stage-separations can be adopted to effectively increase the iron recovery and decrease the P content in the concentrate to some extent.

Sugarcane press mud modification of expansive soil stabilized at optimum lime content:Strength,mineralogy and microstructural investigation

This study attempted to investigate the potential of sugarcane press mud(PM) as a secondary additive in conjunction with lime for the stabilization of an expansive soil.The physico-mechanical properties of an expansive soil,such as plasticity,shrink-swell behavior,unconfined compressive strength(UCS),mineralogical and microstructural characteristics were investigated.The expansive soil was stabilized at its optimum lime content(7%) for producing maximum strength,and was modified with four different quantities of PM in small dosages(0.25%-2%).Cylindrical soil samples,38 mm in diameter and 76 mm in height,were cast and cured for varying periods to evaluate the strength of the amended soil.The spent samples after strength tests were further used for determination of other properties.The test results revealed that PM modification led to a substantial improvement in 7-d strength and noticeable increase in 28-d strength of the lime-stabilized soil(LSS).The addition of PM does not cause any detrimental changes to the shrink-swell properties as well as plasticity nature of the stabilized soil,despite being a material of organic origin.Mineralogical investigation revealed that the formation of calcium silicate hydrate(CSH) minerals,similar to that of pure lime stabilization with only the type of mineral varying due to the modification of PM addition,does not significantly alter the microstructure of the LSS except for superficial changes being noticed.

Influence of alumina on mineralogy and environmental properties of zinc-copper smelting slags

An iron-silicate slag, from a zinc-copper smelting process, and mixtures of this slag with 5wt%, 10wt%, and 15wt% alumina addition were re-melted, semi-rapidly solidified, and characterized using scanning electron microscopy equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The FactSageWM6.2 thermodynamic package was applied to compare the stable phases at equilibrium conditions with experimental characterization. A standard European leaching test was also carried out for all samples to investigate the changes in leaching behaviour because of the addition of alumina. Results show that the commonly reported phases for slags from copper and zinc production processes （olivine, pyroxene, and spinel） are the major constituents of the current samples. A correlation can be seen between mineralogical characteristics and leaching behaviours. The sample with 10wt% alumina addition, which contains high amounts of spinels and lower amounts of the other soluble phases, shows the lowest leachabilities for most of the elements.

Physicochemistry and Mineralogy of Storm Dust and Dust Sediment in Northern China

Dust sediments collected from 1995 to 1998 in Beijing, Dunhuang, Inner Mongolia, Kashi, the Kunlun Mountains, Lanzhou, Ningxia, the Taklimakan Desert, and Xi’an, China, were characterized in terms of their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Most aerosols and dust analysed ranged in texture from silty clay to clay loam. Their median particle diameters (Mds) generally ranged between 5 to 63 μm, coinciding with those of loess from central China and the finest sand from northwestern China. The dust sediments were characterized by a predominance of SiO2 and Al2O3, followed by K2O. Their SiO2/Al2O3 and K2O/SiO2 molar ratios ranged from 5.17 to 8.43 and from 0.009 to 0.0368, respectively. The mass concentration spectrum during a dust storm showed a single peak, rather than the triple peak generally observed under clear sky conditions. The dominant minerals were chlorite, illite, calcite, and dolomite. These physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties were consistent with those of aeolian soils and loess in western and central China. The results suggest that aerosols and fine-grained fractions of dust sediments collected in northern China are mainly composed of soil material transported from the arid and semiarid regions of China and Mongolia by prevailing winds. The rate of deposition and properties of dust falling on eastern China were strongly influenced by meteorological conditions, season, latitude, longitude, and altitude of the sampling sites.

Raman-IR vibrational and XRD characterization of ancient and modern mineralogy from volcanic eruption in Tenerife Island： Implication for Mars

A detailed vibrational Raman-lR spectroscopic and diffractional analyses have been performed on basalts from two locations from Tenerife Island： （1） the Arenas Negras volcano which belongs to the historical eruption not showing visible alteration and （2） Pillow Lavas zone from Anaga Massif which shows a clearly fluid-rock interaction caused by submarine alteration. These places have been extensively studied due to its similarity with the surface of Mars. The analysis is based on the mineral detection of selected samples by a Micro-Raman study of the materials. The complementary techniques have confirmed the mineralogy detected by the Raman measurement. The results show a volcanic environment behavior with primary phases like olivine, pyroxene, and feldsparJplagioclase. Moreover, the presence of accessory minerals or secondary mineralization like phosphate, iron oxides, zeolite or carbonates shows the alteration processes on each outcrop. The variation in the crystallinity and amorphous phases is related to fluid-rock interaction caused by hydrothermal episodes and external weathering processes, which shows several analogies with the ancient volcanic activity from Mars.

Mineralogy and fracture development characteristics of marine shale-gas reservoirs: A case study of Lower Silurian strata in southeastern margin of Sichuan Basin, China

Mineral contents and fractures of shale from well Yuye-1 and outcrops were examined mainly based on systematic description of the cores and outcrops, and data from experimental analyses. The data enabled us to thoroughly explore the mineralogy and developmental features of shale of the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the study area. The results show that,the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale(SLS) in the southeastern margin of Sichuan Basin, China, is primarily characterized by a high content of brittle minerals and a relatively low content of clay minerals. The total content of brittle minerals is approximately 57%,including 27% quartz, 12.2% feldspar, 11.2% carbonate and 2.4% pyrite. The total content of clay minerals reaches 41.6%,composed of illite(23.8%), mixed-layer of illite and smectite(I/S)(10.8%) and chlorite(7.0%). The SLS accommodates the widespread development of various types of fractures, including tectonic fractures, diagenetic fractures, inter-layer fractures and slip fractures. The developmental level of the fracture in the SLS is mainly influenced by faults, lithology, mineral contents and total organic carbon content(TOC) in study area.

Geochemistry, Petrology and Mineralogy of Coal Measure Shales in the Middle Jurassic Yanan Formation from Northeastern Ordos Basin, China: Implications for Shale Gas Accumulation

The Jurassic Yanan Formation is one of the most important coal-producing formations and hydrocarbon source rocks in the Ordos Basin, North China. To evaluate the shale gas potential of the Yanan shale, a total of 48 samples from north Ordos Basin were sampled, and their geochemical, petrological, mineralogical and pore characteristics were investigated. It was found that the shale samples are a suite of early mature source rock. The total organic carbon(TOC) content ranges from 0.33% to 24.12% and the hydrogen index(HI) ranges from 43.31 mg/g to 330.58 mg/g. The relationship between Tmax and HI indicates the organic matter is type Ⅱ-Ⅲ. This conclusion is also supported by the organic petrological examination results, which shows that the kerogen is mainly liptinite and vitrinite. Minerals in the samples are composed mainly of quartz, clay and feldspar, and the clay minerals are composed of prevailing kaolinite, illite/smectite, chlorite and a small amount of illite. Under scanning electron microscope, OM pores in the Yanan shale are scarce except pores come from the kerogen intrinsic texture or clay aggregates within the organic particles. As the weak compaction caused by shallow burial depth, interparticle pores and intraparticle pores are common, the hydrocarbon storage capacity of the Yanan shale was improved. According to evaluation, the Yanan shale is considered as a good shale gas reservoir, but its hydrocarbon potential is more dependent on biogenic and coal-derived gas as the thermogenic gas is limited by the lower thermal maturity.

Process Mineralogy of Lateritic Nickel Ore

This paper presents a methodology for studying low grade lateritic nickel ore, which usually presents complex mineralogy, with widespread nickel in several mineral phases. The study is focused on determining the mineralogy and the distribution of nickel in the bearing minerals. Laboratory assays comprise homogenization, sampling and particle size analysis. Chemical analyses by X-ray fluorescence are performed in all fractions sizes, while mineralogical assessments by X-ray diffraction are carried out for head sample. The mineralogical composition of the samples and the partition of main elements in the bearing minerals are assayed by size fraction through automated image analysis software (MLA) coupled to a scanning electron microscope (SEM). The chemical compositions of the several minerals identified in MLA are determined during systematic observations on SEM with energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS).

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Major, Trace and Rare Earth Elements in Sediments of the Hypersaline Urmia Salt Lake, Iran

Urmia Salt Lake （USL） is a hypersaline lake located at the NW corner of the Iran platform. The lake area is estimated to have been over 5000 km2 at one point, but has now decreased to 〈1000 km^2 in the last two decades. It contains 4.6×109 tons of halite and other detrital and evaporative minerals such as calcite, aragonite, dolomite, quartz, feldspars, augite and sylvite. This study examined the mineralogy and geochemistry of bed sediments along the mid-east toward NE bank sediments collected from 1.5 meters depth and nearby augite placer. Due to the diverse iithology of the surrounding geology, bed sediments vary from felsic in the mid-east to mafic in the northeast. Weathering of tephrite and adakite rocks of the Islamic Island at the immediate boundary has produced a large volume of augite placer over a 40 km length, parallel to the shoreline. Based on the study result, weathering increases from south to north and the geochemistry of the sediments shows enrichment of MgO, CaO, Sr and Ba associated with Sr deployment in all samples. Rare earth elements （REE） patterns normalized to the upper continental crust （UCC） indicated LREEs enrichment compared to HREEs with an elevated anomaly of Eu, possibly due to surface absorbance of Mn and Fe minerals, associated with Sr elevation originating from adakites in the lake basin vicinity.

The Mineralogy and Possible Sources of Spring Dust Particles over Beijing

A severe Asian Dust Storm （ADS） event occurred on 16-17 April 2006 in northern China. The mineral compositions of dust samples were analyzed using X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The results indicated that dust particles of the ＂17 April 2006＂ dust storm were dominated by quartz （37.4%） and clay （32.9%）, followed by plagioclase （13.7%）, with small amounts of calcite, K-feldspar, dolomite, hornblende and gypsum （all less than 10%）. The clay fractions with diameter less than 2 μm were separated from the dust storm particles by centrifuging and were further analyzed by XRD. The results revealed that the clay species were mainly illite/smectite mixed layers （I/S） （49%） and illite （34%）, with small amount of kaolinite （8%） and chlorite （9%）. In order to evaluate the feasibility of using the mineralogy to trace the sources of dust particles, the XRD results of the ＂17 April 2006＂ dustfall particles were compared with the dust particles over past years. The results confirmed that the finer dust particles represented by the ADS PM10 displayed a smaller quartz/clay ratio than the dustfall particles. The dust storm particles, either from the ADS PM10 or from the ＂17 April 2006＂ dustfall, showed a lower level of dolomite contents and lower dolomite/clay ratios compared with the non-dust storm dustfall particles. This implies that dolomite could be used to distinguish between the dust contributions from local and non-local sources. Similar trends were found for the gypsum and the gypsum/clay ratio. Moreover, the two dustfall samples had a lower level of illite/smectite mixed layers and a higher level of illite than airborne PM10, implying that the dustfall particles tend to be enriched with illite in its clay fraction.

Mineralogy, liberation and leaching characteristics of iron oxide phases in an Indian diaspore sample

The removal of iron from an Indian diaspore sample was studied using magnetic separation and leaching techniques aided by an in-depth mineralogical characterization study involving quantitative mineralogical evaluation by scanning electron microscope（QEMSCAN）, electron probe micro-analyzer（EPMA） and X-ray diffraction（XRD）. The characterization studies indicate that extremely fine-sized hematite grains are associated with several other mineral phases in a complex manner with around 60% of the hematite not liberated even below the size of 38 μm limiting the scope of physical separation processes to remove the iron. Wet high intensity magnetic separation（WHIMS） studies reveal that only 49% of iron can be removed. Further, leaching studies using oxalic acid suggest that around 76% of the iron can be removed under conditions such as a solid to liquid ratio of 0.05：1, a temperature of 90 ℃ a time period of 120 min and an acid concentration of 1 mol/L. The dissolution of iron in oxalic acid is found to be controlled by chemical reaction and the activation energy is calculated as 35.15 k J/mol.