Mineralogical Appraisal of Bauxite Overburdens from Brazil

Mineralogical appraisal is an important tool for both mining and industrial processes. X-ray powder diffraction analysis (XRPD) can deliver fast reliable mineralogical quantification results to aid processes improve ore recoveries. Furthermore, fluorescence (XRF) chemical data, thermal (TA), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) be used validate refine XRPD results. assessment of non-traditional ores, such as wastes, also step consider them near-future industries. In the Brazilian Amazon, alumina-rich clays cover largest most bauxitic deposits region have been considered a possible raw material local cement ceramic industry. this work, evaluation these (Belterra Clays) performed using XRPD, XRF, TA, FTIR. XRPD-Rietveld confirmed that kaolinite main phase clay overburden, followed by variable contents gibbsite goethite minor quantities hematite, anatase, quartz. The chemistry derived from Rietveld, based on stoichiometric compositions, presents good correlation with XRF data supported TA FTIR data. initially assumed homogeneous composition Belterra Clay revealed present study.