Mineralogical and chemical characterization of Tamazert (Algeria) kaolin [French]

摘要

Mineralogical and chemical characterization of Tamazert (Algeria) kaolin. X-ray diffraction and fluorescence analyses together with electron microscopy observations, which were carried out on Tamazert kaolin (El Milia - Algeria), showed that the two examined samples, iron kaolin (KF) and white kaolin (KMB) should be mixtures of a particularly fine kaolinite, with a large amount of quartz, a smaller fraction of muscovite and a non negligible concentration of goethite, combined with fragments (XRD observation and analysis) of smectite and illite. The size of the kaolinite mineral is very fine. It is mainly found in fractions with very small grain sizes (<10 mum) of the iron kaolin and much less in the case of the second kind of samples. The kaolinite of the iron kaolin sample is partly substituted with Fe3+ cations, replacing Al3+ cations situated preferentially in octahedral sites. The interstratified type and lamellar aspect of minerals (SEM and optical microscope observations) suggest that the samples mainly contain sedimentary layers of schist and mica minerals. [References: 9]