The current investigation was conducted to estimate the chemical mineralogical characteristics of shale deposits of Abo-Thor are, south west of Sinai Peninsula with the aim of determining the most suitable use of these shale deposits. X-ray diffraction pattern of the clay fraction of the sample revealed the dominance of kaolinite mineral followed by hydrous mica (illite), while the accessory minerals were dominated by quartz. The textural class of the investigated sample was a sandy clay loam of about 17.25% clay, 24.95% silt and 57.8% sand. The EC was excessively high (38.2 dS m-1), the soluble cations were dominated by Na+ and Mg2+, while the soluble anions were dominated by Cl-. Percentages of the major oxides of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, MgO, CaO, K2O and P2O5 were 27.5, 11.7, 18.2, 0.22, 13.3, 4.9, 2.2, 1.4 and 0.4%, respectively. Thus, the aforementioned results indicate that the investigated shale deposits are more suitable for industrial purposes such as civil engineering works. |
