Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of natural zeolites from southwest Syria
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of natural zeolites from southwest Syria Ahmed El-Kammar & Ahmed Melegy & Ghadir Miro
Received: 27 November 2013 / Accepted: 23 June 2014 # Saudi Society for Geosciences 2014
Abstract The zeolitic minerals were recorded in association with the Upper Pliocene volcanic sequences in the southwestern region of Syria. As far as the authors are aware, the present work is first to characterize these potential deposits from the mineralogical and geochemical points of view. Three natural zeolite samples were collected from sedimentary–pyroclastic deposits of Om Ozon (OZ), Mukeihlat (MK), and Jabal Al-Sis (JS) areas. These samples were studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), in combination with thermo analytical methods (differential thermal analysis (DTA) and thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA)). A variety of zeolite species, including phillipsite, analcime, and chabazite were identified in addition to variable quotients of calcite and quartz. Several characteristics of these minerals were determined such as chemical functional groups, chemical components, morphology of crystals, and thermal behaviors.
Keywords Zeolite . Analcime . Chabazite . Phillipsite . Syria . Mineralogical and geochemical studies
Introduction As a result of detailed geological investigations in 1997, large accumulations of zeolite minerals have been discovered in association with the outcropping volcanic sequences in the southwestern region of Syria, along the contiguity between the Al-Ratba Uplift in the east and the eastern ends of depression of Al-Arab Mountain in the west (Fig. 1). They have been recorded in three localities, namely; Jabal Al-Sis (JS), Mukeihlat (MK), and Om Ozon (OZ) with total reserves of about 690 million tons (GEGMRS 2011). Natural zeolites are safe, environmentally friendly, naturally occurring minerals that are hydrated aluminosilicates of the alkali and alkaline–earth metals. They belong to the class of minerals known as “tectosilicates.” Most common natural zeolites are formed by alteration of glass-rich volcanic rocks (tuff) with freshwater in playa lakes or by seawater (Ravindra et al. 2011). They are micro-porous crystalline, consisting of the following empirical formula; Mn=m ½Si1−n Aln O2 ⋅ nH2 O
The replacement of Si4+ ions in its tetrahedral sheets by Al maintains negative charge on the zeolite framework which can be neutralized through exchange with dissolved monovalent or divalent cations such as “Li, Na, K, and Cs” and/or “Mg, Ca, Sr, and Ba.” The fact that zeolite exchangeable ions are relatively innocuous (sodium, calcium, and potassium ions) makes them particularly suitable for removing undesirable heavy metal ions from industrial effluent waters (Ravindra et al. 2011). According to Wang and Peng (2010), the water molecules can be present in voids of large cavities and bonded between framework ions and exchangeable ions via aqu
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