Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry

Mineralogical and Chemical Characterization of Disseminated Low-Grade Sudanese Chromite Ore in Gedarif State at Umm Saqata-Qala Elnahal

Abstract

Mahmoud Motasim Hassan Al-Tigani*, Abdelshakour Awdekarim Mohamed and Ahmed Abdullah Sadeek Seifelnasr

This study was carried out on the low-grade chromite, Gedarif state, Sudan, at Umm Saqata- Qala Elnahal to achieve full characterization for the ore via Microscopic studies for the polish section samples, X-ray diffraction analysis (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRF), Scanning electron microscopic with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), and physical properties tests. Microscopic study revealed that the liberation size of chromite mineral is in the range (0.30-0.05) mm. also the X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscope with the Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis showed that main gangue of the ore is mineral silicates as Antigorite and contains 21.58-19.60% Cr₂O₃. The physical tests (saturated density and dry density) demonstrated that ore has low density in range 2.54-2.38 g/cm³ because it is low grade chromite ore, this can be attributed to the dominating mineral silicate (waste) which associated with chromite mineral.