Mineralogy of Panchpatrnali Bauxite Deposit Based on XRD, IR, DTA and SEM Studies

Mineralogy of bauxite profile, after khondalite parentage, at Panchpatmdi area, Koraput district, Orissa is studied by XRD, JR, DTA and Optical/electron microscopy. XRD shows thedominance of kaolinite in saprolite, whereas IR and DTA results confirm its presence in the entire profile. All the above studies confirm the strongly disordered nature of kaolinite. Gibbsite, geothite, hematite, diaspore and allophane are present in the entire profile with the intermittent occurrence of boehrnite, anatase, and futile. Microscopic investigation reveals poIycyclic crystalisation of gibbsite and ultimately resilicated to kaolinitevia dlophane. Transformation of alurninious parent minerals to gibbsite is direct without the intermediate kaolinite stage. Evidences are presented to show that gibbsites are later transformed to kaolinite due to ground water activities.