Mineralogy and Thermal Analysis of Natural Pozzolana Opal Shale with Nano-pores

Thermodynamic stability, microvoid distribution and phases transformation of natural pozzolana opal shale（POS） were studied systematically in this work. XRD analysis showed that opal-CT, including microcrystal cristobalite and tridymite, is a major component of POS. DTA and FT-IR indicated that there were many hydroxyl groups and acid sites on the surface of amorphous SiO2 materials. FE-SEM analysis exhibited amorphous SiO2 particles（opal-A） covering over stacking sequences microcrystal cristobalite and tridymite. Meanwhile, MIP analysis demonstrated that porosity and pore size distribution of POS remained uniform below 600 ℃. Because stable porous microstructure is a key factor in improving photocatalyst activity, POS is suited to preparing highly active supported.

Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics of Miocene pelitic sedimentary rocks from the south-western part of the Pannonian Basin System(Croatia):Implications for provenance studies

Fifty-two samples of Miocene pelitic sedimentary rock from outcrops on Medvednica,Moslavacka Gora and Psunj Mts.,and boreholes in the Sava Depression and the Pozega Sub-depression were investigated.These sediments formed in different marine（with normal and reduced salinity）,brackish,and freshwater environments,depending on the development stage of the Pannonian Basin System.Carbonate minerals,clay minerals and quartz are the main constituents of all pelitic sedimentary rocks,except in those from Moslavacka Gora Mt in which carbonate minerals are not present.Feldspars,pyrite,opal-CT,and hematite are present as minor constituents in some rocks.Besides calcite,dependent on the sedimentary environment and diagenetic changes,high-magnesium calcite,aragonite,dolomite and ankerite/Cadolomite are also present.Smectite or illite-smectite is the main clay minerals in the samples.Minor constituents,present in almost all samples,are detrital illite and kaolinite.In some samples chlorite is also present in a low amount.Major elements,trace elements and rare earth elements patterns used in provenance analysis show that all analysed samples have a composition similar to the values of the upper continental crust（UCC）.The contents of major and trace elements as well as SiO2/Al2O3,K2O/Al2O3,Na2O/K2O,Eu/Eu＊,La/Sc,Th/Sc,La/Co Th/Co,Th/Cr,Ce/Ce＊ and LREE/HREE ratios,show that the analysed pelitic sedimentary rocks were formed by weathering of different types of mostly acidic（silicic）,i.e.felsic rocks.

Chemical, physical, thermal, textural and mineralogical studies of natural iron ores from Odisha and Chhattisgarh regions, India

The chemical,physical,thermal and texture properties of iron ores from different regions of Odisha and Chhattisgarh regions,India,have been investigated to understand the compositional variations of Fe,Al2O3,SiO2,S and P.They were analyzed for its susceptibility to meet the industrial requirements,for various iron manufacture techniques.Chemical analysis indicated that the majority of the iron ores is rich in hematite(>90wt%),poor in gangue(<4.09wt%SiO2and<3.8wt%Al2O3)and deleterious elements(P<0.065wt%and S<0.016wt%)in all these iron ores found to be low.XRD peaks reviled that the gangue is in the form of kaolinite and quartz,and same was observed in Fourier transform infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy in the range of914to1034cm–1.The iron ores were found to have excellent physical properties exemplify with tumbler index(82wt%–91wt%),abrasion index(1.27wt%–4.87wt%)and shatter index(0.87wt%–1.64wt%).FTIR and thermal analysis were performed to assimilate the analysis interpolations.It was found that these iron ores exhibit three endothermic reactions,which are dehydration below447K with mass loss of0.13wt%to1.7wt%,dehydroxylation at525–609K with mass loss of1.09wt%–4.49wt%and decomposition of aluminosilicates at597–850K with mass loss of0.13wt%–1.15wt%.From this study,we can conclude that due to its excellent physico-chemical characteristics,these iron ores are suitable for BF and DRI operations.

Shale Hydrocarbon Development Based on Drill Cuttings &TOC Analysis: Case Study of Brownshale Drill Cuttings of Well BS-03, Pematang Formation, Bengkalis Trough, Central Sumatra Basin

Brownshale is a lithology unit in the middle of the Pematang Formation consisting of brown to black shale that is deposited in the lacustrine environment. Brownshale from the results of previous studies stated as the main source rock in the Central Sumatra Basin, which is spread over several troughs, namely Balam, Aman, Rangau, Kiri, and Bengkalis Troughs, where Bengkalis Trough is the most extensive Trough. In the shale hydrocarbon prospecting analysis, Brownshale from previous researchers concluded that it had good prospects, based on several parameters including: TOC values with poor to very good quality. Brownshale formation is a type of kerogene as kerogen type of II/III, brittleness index greater than 0.48, and rock compressive strength below 10,000 Psi. One method in the development phase of shale hydrocarbon is to determine the fracable sweetspot window using drill cuttings and TOC, because there is no core data available. Based on the results of the well log analysis of well BS-03, it is obtained information that the Brownshale formation has a thickness of 1028 feet with intercalation laminated shale/sand section, so the mineral content varies greatly. From the ternary diagram of XRD (bulk analysis) results of drill cuttings of Brownshale formation of well BS-03, it can be seen that mineral distribution of Quartz-Clay-Calcite (Q-C-C) is spread between zone 1 to zone 3, namely: Dominant Quartz - Minor Clay & Carbonate (Zone 1: Brittle Quartz Rich), Dominant Carbonate - Quartz & Minor Clay (Zone 2: Brittle Carbonate Rich), and Quartz & Carbonate Balance - Clay minor (Zone 3: Ductile, hard to frac). This shows that not all Brownshale formation intervals are easy to frac (high fracability). From the XRD result, percentage of mineral content (bulk analysis) of Brownshale drill cuttings, there is an interesting phenomenon, i.e. the presence of sillimanite and kaliophilite minerals significantly starting at a depth of 10,780 ft and below, where both minerals have tenacity: brittle, and also from the results of the MBT analysis seen an interesting phenomenon, i.e. at a depth interval of about 10,780 ft the value of CEC drops below 3 meq/100 grams, and can be categorized as the brittle shale. Referring to the presence of sillimanite and kaliophilite minerals, as well as low MBT values, then at intervals of 10,780 ft below, it can be seen that at the bottom of the depth interval as a fracable sweetspot window, and at the upper depth interval of the Brownshale formation, it is believed to be a fracture barrier.

Tennantite and Enargite Rejection in the Copper Flotation—A Mini-Review

With the development of arsenic removal technologies, biological method and sulfide method have been applied in industrial fields, other methods have also been applied in arsenic-containing copper flotation, including coagulation process, ion exchange method, direct precipitation method and so on. In the paper, a short review on the progress of arsenic removal technologies of copper flotation during the last decade is presented, and the importance and the trend of arsenic removal are discussed. The existing and possible strategies of improving copper recovery in porphyry copper ores and rejection of penalty elements such as Tennantite and Enargite in copper flotation concentrates are also presented.

铁成分对硫化锌精矿的半导体性质及化学反应性的影响

硫化锌精矿(以下简称精矿)除含有主要元素锌与硫外,还含有其它元素,尤其是含有相当多的铁。在湿法处理精矿时,其铁成分的行为取决于铁的矿物存在形式。精矿中的铁可以铁闪锌矿[(Zn,Fe)S)、黄铁矿、黄铜矿的形式存在。铁闪锌矿的铁含量可在很大的范围内变化,其物理化学性质也随铁含量而变化,因此对精矿的湿法直接处理产生很大的影响。本文研究出一种可靠的、确定精矿矿物组成的化学分析方法,着重于测定铁在精矿各矿物中的分布,及铁闪锌矿铁含量的变化规律。在此基础上,实验研究了精矿中的铁(尤其是铁闪锌矿中的铁)对精矿的半导体性质的影响规律,应用半导体电化学原理讨论了精矿铁含量对精矿的直接浸出(常压、硫酸介质)的影响机理。

Comparative study on bioleaching of two different types of low-grade copper tailings by mixed moderate thermophiles

The bioleaching of two different types of low-grade copper tailings,acid-leaching tailings(ALT)and copper flotation tailings(CFT)by mixed moderate thermophiles,and the variation of mineralogical and microbiological characteristics during their dissolution processes were comparatively investigated.Results showed that bioleaching behaviors of the two types of tailings were significantly different.In ALT bioleaching,lower redox potential,higher[Fe3+]/[Fe2+]ratio and higher cell density in solution were obtained.These resulted in higher total copper,primary copper sulfide and secondary copper sulfide extractions,compared with CFT bioleaching.X-ray diffraction analysis suggested that gypsum and some metal organic complexes were detected in CFT bioleaching,which could cause the sluggish oxidation of sulphide minerals.The shifts of microbial community in the leachates and leaching residues varied greatly between ALT and CFT bioleaching.The percentage of iron-oxidizing bacteria in ALT bioleaching was higher than that of CFT,but the sulfur-oxidizing bacteria percentage was the opposite.The archaeon F.thermophilum L1 was detected in ALT but not in CFT.

Plasticity role in strength behavior of cement-phosphogypsum stabilized soils

Dredged soil and phosphogypsum are frequently regarded as wasted materials,which require further treatment to control their environmental impact.Hence,phosphogypsum is proposed as a binder to stabilize dredged soil,aiming at efficiently reducing and reusing these waste materials.In this study,the engineering properties of cement-phosphogypsum stabilized dredged soils were investigated through a series of unconfined compression tests,and the effects of plasticity index of original soils on the strength improvement were identified.Then,the microstructure test and mineralogical test were performed to understand the mechanism of physical role of original soils in strength improvement.The results revealed that the unconfined compressive strength significantly decreased with the increase in plasticity index at the same binder content.The essential factor for strength improvement was found to be the formation of cementitious materials identified as calcium silicate hydrate(CSH),calcium aluminate hydrate(CAH),and ettringite(Aft).The normalized integrated intensity of cementitious materials(CSH+CAH+Aft)by pore volume decreased with the increase in plasticity index.Consequently,the density of cementitious materials filling the soil pores controlled the effectiveness of strength improvement.More cementitious materials per pore volume were observed for the original soils with lower values of plasticity index.That is,the higher strength of stabilized soils with lower values of plasticity index was attributed to a packed structure forming by integrated fabric through denser cementitious components.It can be anticipated from the above findings that the effectiveness of stabilization treatment will significantly reduce with the increase in plasticity of origin soil.

Using computational fluid dynamic simulation with Flow-3D to reveal the origin of the mushroom stone in the Xiqiao Mountain of Guangdong, China

Mushroom shaped rocks are not uncommon in nature, but their origin is often misunderstood because they can be formed by different natural forces. A huge mushroom stone in a stream valley of the Xiqiao Mountain of Guangdong,China is widely believed to be formed through the way of stream water erosion. However, the result of the simulation performed with Flow-3 D in this study indicates that the mushroom shape of the rock could not have been sculpted by the flowing water erosion because the simulation result contradicts that of the field investigations:(1) the sediment brought by upstream flowing water tends to be deposited on the leeward side of the flowing water preventing the rock on this side form being eroded, but the narrowest part of the rock bottom is exactly located on this side of the rock and(2) the stream flow should erode the bed sediment and produce high abrasion on the rock surface on the upstream and lateral sides of the rock,respectively, but no abrasion marks are found on the same sides of the rock. Subsequent geological analyses in this study provide evidence that the narrow bottom of the mushroom stone was resulted from chemical and physical weathering happening within the sediment that used to deposit on the lee side of the stone.

Properties of Debadib Evaporates (Northern Tunisia) for Potential Use in Industrial Fields

Gypsum is widely distributed in Tunisia occurring in the formation of Triassic age. The gypsum deposit of Mellegue is the alabastine type with a little of the porphyroblast type and contains traces of clay minerals and calcite. It is a moderately strong rock in terms of its unconfined compressive strength of 16 Mpa and tensile strength of 3.35 Mpa. Triaxial testing values indicated an apparent cohesion of 10 Mpa and an angle of friction of 26°. The gypsum studied had a percentage of SO3 of 41.71% and a percentage of CaO of 32.9%. All the samples had low densities according to the International Association of Engineering Geology (IAEG) classification and exhibited a moderate porosity whether effective or absolute. The gypsum proved to be moderately strong when tested in unconfined compression and tensile strength. Thermal analysis indicated a total weight loss of 20.27% and the whiteness index about 90%. This proved a high degree of whiteness. The time of setting can be considered short and medium, which is quite favorable for industrial application compared with other gypsum deposits currently operated.

Leaching behavior and mineralogical evolution of vanadium released from sodium roasted-acid leaching tailing of vanadium slag

The sodium roasted-acid leaching tailing(SRALT)of vanadium slag with a certain amount of vanadium exhibits potential environmental risk.To investigate the leaching behavior of vanadium from the SRALT,neutral batch leaching tests were performed.The evolution of vanadium concentration,pH,redox potential(Eh),dissolved oxygen,and conductivity as a function of time was measured.Pourbaix diagrams of V–H2O system with different vanadium concentrations were obtained to identify the ionic speciation of vanadium in leachate.X-ray diffraction,X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy,field emission-scanning electron microscopy,and thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry analysis were conducted to investigate the mineralogical evolution of the SRALT during the leaching process.It was found that the major minerals of the original SRALT are titanomagnetite,spinel,olivine,and augite.The valence states of V existing in the original SRALT are V^(3+)and V^(5+).The pH and Eh values of the obtained leachates are 10.00–10.58 and(−43)–(+67)mV,respectively.In this pH and Eh region,the released vanadium is mainly present as HVO_(4)^(2−).The FeOOH and CaCO_(3)would form during the leaching process.The HVO_(4)^(2−)would be mainly adsorbed by the FeOOH and slightly incorporated into the CaCO_(3),resulting in the decline in the vanadium concentration.The vanadium concentration above 27 mg L^(−1)and the dissolved oxygen value below 5.0 mg L^(−1)can be obtained after a short leaching period.As a V(V)-releasing and oxygen-depleting substance,the leaching toxicity of the SRALT should not be ignored.

Pulmonary sarcoid-like granulomatosis induced by aluminum dust:report of a case and literature review

Awide range of pulmonary pathology is attributed to aluminum dust exposure, including interstitial fibrosis^1-5 desquamative interstitial pneumonia^6 and pulmonary alveolar proteinosis^7 To our knowledge, granulomatous lung disease induced by aluminum dust is rare, only two cases were reported in literatures^8.9 We had the opportunity to make a diagnosis of pulmonary sarcoid-like granulomatosis in a patient exposed to aluminum dust. Herein, we report the clinical history, radiographic and histopathological findings in this patient, and the detailed mineralogical analyses performed on lung tissue obtained by open lung biopsy.