Quantitative determination of mineral content of geological samples of clays by chemical analyses

In this study, mineralogical composition of a kaolin deposit is calculated. The method used in this calculation is based on the major element chemical analyses of the samples and the chemical formula of the calculated minerals. For these calculations to be most informative, the calculated mineralogical balance of the each sample in this way is matched with its x-ray diffractogram, where the major mineral entities are obtained. The detected mineral percentages are coincident with XRD data. Moreover, SEM photomicrographs of the outcrop samples are also consistent with the calculated mineral composition.