Assessment limestone of Ghar Formation in Al-Busaiyah Area in southern Iraq as Raw Materials for the Manufacture of ordinary Portland cement (OPC)

Abstract

Six samples of limestone rocks were selected for the Early Miocene Ghar Formation in the Busayyah area south of Nasiriyah city in the southern desert of Iraq, and one sample of clay deposits of the Quaternary age was selected for the purpose of geochemical and mineral evaluation for the manufacture of ordinary Portland cement. The results of the analyzes of limestone for the formation of Ghar showed that it contains Ratios (less than 2%) of magnesium oxide, and the percentage of calcium oxide to more than (52%),Which was in conformity with the Iraqi and international specifications [1] and [2] for the cement industry. playa clays in the region study were analyzed for the purpose of testing and demonstrating their suitability for the cement industry, as recent clays have a high percentage of magnesium oxide, as well as its scarcity in the study sections, as the results showed their suitability for the cement industry. The ratios of lime saturation (LSF), alumina ratio (AR) and silica ratio (SR) were calculated for the mixture consisting of limestone to Ghar Formation, clay, Bauxite and iron oxides. (3) Mixtures of different exposed of Ghar formation were burned at a temperature of 1200 and 1450 °C, and the results showed the validity of the produced clinker and its conformity with international specifications when burning at 1450 °C, while the burnt clinker failed at 1200 °C due to incomplete form of cement phases. The proportions of the mineral phases of clinker were calculated after burning and it was found that the phases and minerals of belite, lalite, ferrite aluminate and portlandite.

Physical and mechanical tests were carried out on limestone from the Ghar Formation, where the compressive strength, specific weight, total density, moisture content and apparent porosity were analyzed