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Limestone Deposits vs. Beneficiation
Limestone Deposits vs. Beneficiation
Ohio Journal of Science (Ohio Academy of Science) Ohio Journal of Science: Volume 66, Issue 2 (March, 1966)
1966-03
Ames, John A.
Downloaded from the Knowledge Bank, The Ohio State University's institutional repository
LIMESTONE DEPOSITS VS. BENEFICIATION
JOHN A. AMES
Alpha Portland Cement Company, Easton, Pennsylvania
ABSTRACT
Limestone for portland cement must be beneficiated to produce uniform raw material
for the kiln. Careful quarrying and selective recovery are factors in this process, but
the chief aspects of beneficiation are "in plant" processes, such as crushing and screening,
washing, grinding, flotation, and heavy-media separation. Numerous technical and eco-
nomic problems exist. Detailed studies of the limestone deposit and the stone itself are
required for intelligent beneficiation.
Type II:
SiO Min. 21.0 SiO 2 15.2 Calcite 74..5 SiO2 15.58 4.14
A12O3 Max. 6.0 Fe 2 O 3 2.4 Dolomite 3. ,2 AI2O3 3.18 0.21
Fe 2 O 3 Max. 6.0 A12O3 3.0 Quartz (chert) 11. 3 Fe2O3 2.04 1.77
MgO Max. 5.0 CaO 42.7 Hematite 1. 5 CaO 42.48 50.16
SO3 Max. 2.5 MgO 1.4 Chlorite 3. .8 (CaCO3) 76.04 89.79
3CaO A l2O3 Muscovite 1 .9 MgO 1.32 0.42
Max. 8.0 Loss 34.9 Kaolinite 4.1 (MgCO3) 2.75 8.78
Insol. Max. 0.75 Loss 35.19 41.90
Loss on Ign. (Clay and
Max. 3.0 sand added)
Type III:
Al2O3 Max. 7.5 SiO 2 13.3 Calcite 74 ,1 SiO2 13.44 0.55
Fe2O3 Max. 6.0 Fe 2 O 3 2.0 Dolomite 5 .7 A12O3 4.55 0.27
Fe2O3 1.21 0.18
MgO Max. 5.0 A12O3 4.0 Quartz (chert) 8 .4 CaO 41.84 54.47
SO3 Max. 3.0 CaO 42.9 Chlorite 1 3 (CaCO3) 74.78 97.50
3CaO-A 12O3 MgO 1.5 Hematite 1 .7 MgO 1.94 0.52
Max.
15.0 Muscovite 4 ,2 (MgCO3) 4.05 1.10
Insol. Max. 0.75 Loss 35.5 Feldspar 6 .0
Loss on Ign. (Anorthite) Loss 34.95 43 61
Max. 3.0 (High calcium (Shale
stone added) added)
*Gypsum added after burning usually accounts for the level of SO3 content- -as well as for
a small amount of some of the other components.
CURRENT PRACTICE
Efforts to produce uniform, specified raw material from diverse types of de-
posits have led to many practical solutions. Some of the approaches should prob-
ably not be included under the term "beneficiation," although the goals are the
same. Currently, steps taken to improve quality may be summarized as follows.
1. Cleaning of deposit before quarrying:
a. Stripping, by mechanical or hydraulic means.
b. Combining this process with another recovery operation that pro-
duces usable or commercially saleable material from the "over-
burden."
No. 2 LIMESTONE DEPOSITS VS. BENEFICIATION 133
Weathering effect and con- Study of mechanisms of weathering Intelligent plans for strip-
tamination. and the results. P m g a n d quarry layout.
Effects of solution, and Origin, mineralogy, petrology, and Understanding of geologic
residual mineral materials chemistry of the residual materials. influence of these factors on
on and in limestone. Location of voids and study of voids recoverable reserves, as
filled from channels of streams, and they affect quality and
of cavernous and sinkhole condi- operating costs.
tions, geodes, vugs, and porosity.
Study of deposit relationship to con-
tained and moving water.
Overburden materials, to- Study of physical quarrying and Possible use (or sale) of
gether with interbedded or handling aspects of "rotten rock," potential waste as "second-
structurally included rock clay, and other non-limestone con- ary" raw materials.
materials. taminants which must be handled Determination of how much
in quarry operation. non-carbonate material can
be handled by existing or
Finding and adequately describing proposed equipment, and
the "overburden"- limestone inter- deciding upon which new or
face and study of the reasons for its modified pieces of equip-
development. ment may aid in handling
the problems.
When "paleo-climate" weathering
has affected deposit, attempt to
understand why and how.
No. 2 LIMESTONE DEPOSITS VS. BENEFICIATION 135
TABLE 2—Continued
Impurities in the fabric of Detailed descriptive work on Developing plans for selec-
the limestone itself, those "quarry-sized" or smaller rock tive recovery where pos-
within individual blocks, units with the objective of describ- sible, including locating
as well as in the deposit as ing adequately reef features, bed and adequately describing
a whole, including impuri- continuity, facies changes, and com-
ties of both primary or parable features of overall quality
secondary origin, gener- significance. "In-plant" beneficiation
ally "wedded" to the planning and design of
rock. Studies of rock features providing equipment and flow (in-
evidence of environment of deposi- cluded crushing, screening,
tion; components of the rock de- and discard systems, as
scribed and understood, with spe- well as complex froth-flota-
cial emphasis on variability of dif- tion, concentration, and
ferent strata, rock fabric, cementa- classification plants).
tion, crystallinity and grain size,
configuration, etc.
Study of the forms of silica present,
geologically, physically, and chem-
ically.
Structure of rock in com- Structural analysis of the deposits, Appreciation of the three-
plex quarry situations. including determination of faults dimensional aspect of the
and fold, controls imposed by joint- deposit; planning to follow
ing (on silicification, leaching, oxi- the geologic structure
dation, etc.), and assessment of where possible.
metamorphic changes of minerals
insofar as possible and useful. Quarry planning to avoid
contamination from struc-
ture where possible, and to
recognize when beneficia-
tion, underground mining,
or other measures are re-
quired because of structure
changes.
136 JOHN A. AMES Vol. 66
ANNOUNCEMENT
Additional copies of this Symposium on the Geology of Industrial Limestone
and Dolomite are available, at a price of $1.00, from:
Business Office, Ohio Journal of Science
c/o Ohio Academy of Science
505 King Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43201