Research article

STUDY OF THE MINERAL PROPERITIES OF GYPSUM AND CALCAREOUS SOILS IN AL-DIWANIYAH PROVINCE, IRAQ

Maher Nazim Karim Al-Fatlawy and Raid Shaalan Jarallah

Online First: January 20, 2023


In order to study the mineral composition of two gypsum and calcareous soils in Al-Diwaniyah province , Iraq, two locations were identified, the first location was in Al-Shanafiya location for gypsum soil and the second site was in Al-Nouriah location for limestone soil. The samples were taken from the study locations to a depth of (30-0) cm. After they were transferred to the laboratory, they passed through a sieve with holes 2 mm in diameter for the purpose of conducting chemical and physical analyzes. Also, the soil was separated into sand with a 50-micron sieve, clay and silt by sedimentation method. The sand and silt minerals are diagnosed by means of X-rays and their proportions are determined by the point-counting method. The clay is separated by the method of conducting transactions (saturation and heating). The results show the following: The results of the X-ray diffraction of the gypsum soil separated by sand in the Shanafiya location showed the presence of Quartz minerals (14.0%), Calcite (35.0%), Dolomite (21.3%),Albite (4.3%), Muscovite (8.1%), Antigorite (3.7%), and Gypsum (15.3) Magnetite (2.5%), Kaolinite (2.2%) and Chlorite (0.2% .) The proportions of minerals were Quartz (39.8%), Calcite (44.1%), Dolomite (1.9%), Gypsum (3.1%), Magnetite (3.1%), and Hematite (1.7%).Orthoclase (2.0%), Chlorite (3.7%), and Ilite (5.0%), and the clay part contained the minerals Montmorillonite, Chlorite, Ilite and Kaolinite. (7.9%), Antigorite ((2.7%), Gypsum ((1.0% .)Magnetite (2.1%), Kaolinite (3.8%), Chlorite (5.4%), Ilite (3.3%), Palligorskite (2.2%), Vermiculite (1.1%), and silt separated were the proportions of quartz minerals (15.3%), calcite (70.4%), and dolomite (7.3%).Gypsum (1.3%), Magnetite (2.4%), orthoclase (3.3%), chlorite (1.7%), and Ilite (0.8%). The clay part contained the minerals Montmorillonite, Chlorite, Pallygorskite, Ilite and Kaolinite.

Keywords

mineral properities, gypsum, calcareous soils