Mineralogical and Textural Study of Fine-grained Iron Phases in Ferruginous Bauxite Ores from the Eufaula District in Southeastern Alabama

Abstract

The United States is dependent upon foreign sources for more than 93% of its bauxite and alumina supply. Domestic production of bauxite, which comes from Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas, is limited to those bauxite ores containing less than about l ½% iron. Bauxites with higher iron contents are generally not utilized because they cause problems in bauxite calcining and especially because they produce undesirable brick discoloration and cracking. In order to improve beneficiation and expand the utilization of high-iron or ferruginous bauxites, a mineralogical and textural study has been conducted on selected samples from the Eufaula, Alabama, bauxite district. Reflected light microscopic, petrographic, and X-ray techniques have shown that a variety of iron minerals are present, including hematite, goethite, lepidocrosite, siderite, pyrite, marcasite, and ilmenite. Although the iron minerals may be locally concentrated into concretions and pisolites, most occur as very fine grains that are disseminated and show a variety of intergrowths. Mineralogical and textural observations indicate that the fine-grained iron mineral grains may be amenable to high gradient magnetic separation.

Meeting Name

Symposium on Process Mineralogy (1981: Feb. Chicago, IL)

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Keywords and Phrases

Bauxite Ore Treatment; Beneficiation; Discoloration; Magnetic Separation; Mineralogy Applications; Bauxite Deposits

Geographic Coverage

Southeastern Alabama

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

0895203790

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 1981 Metallurgical Society of AIME, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Feb 1981

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