Periodico di Mineralogia

Mineralogical and micromorphological characteristics of the limescale in a kettle: Insights into polymorph formation

Muhsin Eren, Selahattin Kadir, Meryem Yeşilot Kaplan — Tue, 15 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study presents an integrated mineralogical, micromorphological, spectroscopic, and geochemical characterization of kettle limescale formed from hard tap water in Mersin, southern Turkey. Petrographic microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and ion chromatography were used to characterize the limescale and source water. The limescale consists predominantly of aragonite and calcite, with aragonite as the dominant crystalline phase. Scanning electron microscopy reveals pseudo-hexagonal prismatic, needle-like, and rhombohedral crystals, together with rosette-, cauliflower-, and hexagonal plate-like aggregates. Integrated morphological, spectroscopic, and compositional data indicate that needle-like and rhombohedral crystals are predominantly calcitic, whereas pseudo-hexagonal prisms and irregular morphologies are predominantly aragonitic. The irregular morphologies, together with poorly ordered carbonate material, are enriched in magnesium and silicon but depleted in calcium, representing compositionally distinct late-stage precipitates. These findings support a multistage precipitation model involving initial calcite nucleation, subsequent aragonite growth during boiling, and late-stage precipitation of Mg–Si-rich, poorly ordered carbonate material.

Gravity–Magnetic beneficiation of low-grade iron sand for Fe upgrading and Ti–V enrichment

Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Indonesia has 2.3 billion tons of iron sand resources (approximately 1.7% of global reserves). However, most deposits contain relatively low Fe grade (<54%), limiting their direct utilization as iron concentrate. In addition to Fe, iron sand also contains valuable elements such as Ti and V, whose enrichment behavior during processing has not been widely studied. This study aims to enhance the Fe grade and evaluate the distribution of Ti and V through a combined gravity-magnetic separation process. The raw iron sand contained 29.59% Fe, 4.77% Ti, and 0.22% V. Optimal separation was achieved using a vibrating table (10° inclination, 15 L/min water flow rate) followed by magnetic separation at 500 G. This process produced a concentrate containing 57.85% Fe, 5.83% Ti, and 0.42% V, with recovery of 76.89% Fe, 52.77% Ti, and 76.88% V, respectively. These results demonstrate that gravity-magnetic separation effectively upgrades low-grade iron sand and enriches Ti and V, producing a marketable concentrate and supporting the utilization of multi-element resources.

WinMnzclas, a Windows program for monazite-supergroup minerals

Fuat Yavuz — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

WinMnzclas, a Microsoft^®Visual Basic software, calculates the chemical formulas of monazite-supergroup minerals using data from wet-chemical and electron-microprobe analyses. It evaluates 11 valid mineral species based on the IMA nomenclature, following the general formula ABX₄for the monazite group and unassigned members including phosphates, arsenates, vanadates, silicates, chromates, and sulfates. The program recalculates and estimates the chemical formulas of monazite-supergroup species based on four oxygen atoms, with the (A+B)=2.00 cation, B=1.00 cation, and A=1.00 cation atoms per formula unit normalization options. Mineral classifications of the monazite supergroup are carried out based on the dominant di-, three-, and tetravalent cations at the A-site in accordance with the Levinson rules as well as tetrahedrally coordinated tetra-, penta-, and hexavalent ions at the B-site for class separation. WinMnzclas operates in four stages: (1) it estimates cation and anion contents provided by input chemical data; (2) it determines the dominant ions at the A and B sites; (3) it assigns the monazite-supergroup minerals with classes; and (4) it classifies the monazite-supergroup species into monazite group with unassigned members such as huttonite and crocoite. WinMnzclas allows users to: (1) enter up to 48 input variables for mineral-chemical analyses; (2) type and load multiple monazite-supergroup mineral compositions in the data entry section; (3) edit and load the Microsoft® Excel files used in calculating, classifying, and naming the monazite-supergroup minerals, (4) estimate experimental and empirical geothermometers based on Y and (Y+HREE) in monazite, and (5) store all the calculated parameters in the output of a Microsoft® Excel file for further data evaluations. The program is distributed as a self-extracting setup file, including the necessary support files used by the program, a help file, and representative sample data files.

Determination of existing aggregate quarries and potential aggregate areas in northern Kocaeli, Türkiye using a Geographic Information System (GIS)

Demet Demir Şahin, Ahmet Karakaş — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

The construction sector worldwide has been experiencing rapid growth in parallel with increasing population and industrialization. Thus, the demand for raw materials used in construction has significantly increased, and the availability of one of the key materials, namely aggregates, has become insufficient to meet this demand. Aggregate is primarily obtained either naturally from riverbeds or through the processing of rocks in crushing and screening plants. However, in recent years, existing aggregate resources have proven inadequate to meet growing needs, highlighting the importance of identifying new potential sources. The aim of this study was to investigate both the current status of aggregate resources and the potential aggregate-bearing zones in northern western Türkiye. Geographic Information System (GIS)-based modeling was conducted to support the search for new aggregates sources in Kocaeli province and the Marmara Region. Within this modeling framework, current aggregate sources, including the locations of active quarries, production-consumption volumes, and usage areas, were evaluated. Potential aggregate-bearing zones were identified through a GIS-based multi-criteria evaluation integrating lithological quality, land-use constraints, and logistical accessibility. Maps were generated using ArcGIS 9.3 software, and potential aggregate areas were classified into four categories of potential: low, moderate, good, and high. Areas with high aggregate potential were identified in the northern part of Kandıra district and in the region between Gebze and Körfez. The results provide a preliminary evaluation for cost-effective production processes in which environmental impacts are minimized through spatial planning, including distance from settlements and agricultural areas.