Doughty, John A.

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Journal of the Arkansas Academy of ScienceVolume 5 Article 251952X-Ray Investigations of Arkansas GraphitesJohn A. DoughtyUniversity of Arkansas, FayettevilleFollow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaasPart of the Geology CommonsThis article is available for use under the Creative Commons license: Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0). Users are able toread, download, copy, print, distribute, search, link to the full texts of these articles, or use them for any other lawful purpose, without asking priorpermission from the publisher or the author.This Article is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UARK. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Arkansas Academyof Science by an authorized editor of ScholarWorks@UARK. For more information, please contact scholar@uark.edu, ccmiddle@uark.edu.Recommended CitationDoughty, John A. (1952) "X-Ray Investigations of Arkansas Graphites," Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science: Vol. 5 , Article 25.Available at: http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol5/iss1/25X-RAY INVESTIGATIONS OF ARKANSAS GRAPHITES*JOHN A. DOUGHTYUniversity of ArkansasTwo deposits of graphite located in Arkansas have been brought to the attention of the Arkansas Resources and Development Commission. These depositslocated in Garland and Perry Counties, were reported during 1950.The Garland County deposit was reported by the Hamilton Brothers of HotSprings. The ore is a black bituminous graphitic shale containing 6..71 per centfixed carbon as determined by Mr. Troy W. Carney, Chief Chemist, Geology Sec-tion, Arkansas Resources and Development Commission. Due to its comparativehardness it was relatively easy to crush the ore to a size of 6.0 per centthrough 48 mesh and 40 per cent through 35 mesh.John M. Springer of Hot Springs reported the Perry County deposit. Thisdeposit has two distinct forms, clay-ball and shabby-shale. The fixed carboncontent of the clay-ball ore was 1.70 per cent, while that of the slabby- shaleore was 1.73 per cent, as determined by Mr. Carney. The softness of the clay-ball ore made it difficult to pulverize to a size of 30 per cent through 48 meshand 70 per cent through 35 mesh.The pulverized ore was examined by means of a Phillips Geiger X-ray Spec-trometer. The pattern of the Garland County sample revealed a strong associa-tion with quartz and traces of Illite. No trace of a graphite pattern indicatesan amorphous structure. After simple flotation in a toluene-water mixture, thex-ray analysis revealed Kaolinite (Al2O3.2SiO9.2H2O) and Illite (2K2O. 3MgO.AI2O3. 24SiO2- I2H2O) in addition to quartz. Beneiiciation by a hydrofluoric acidtreatment* resulted in the removal of the quartz and other impurities. Theabsence of an x-ray diffraction pattern indicated that this graphite is anamorphous type.The analysis of the Springer sample proved to be somewhat more difficult.Cuts of pulverized clay-ball and slabby-shale ores were supplied by Mr. Williamsand Mr. Carney of the ARDC. X-ray analysis of the clay-ball cut revealed asso-ciation with quartz, Kaolinite and Illite. The absence of a graphite patternagain indicated an amorphous type. The slabby-shale cut resulted in a similarpattern of quartz and Kaolinite, but with extra lines indicating Sericite, analteration form of mica that approaches Illite. Flotation by toluene-water didnot totally eliminate the quartz, Kaolinite, Illite and Sericite. In bothcases, treatment with hydroflouric acid removed all impurities and resulted in apattern that was essentially background. The graphite, therefore, has an amor-phous structure.The low carbon content of these graphite ores and the necessity of benefi-ciation by chemical means practically eliminates any possibility of profitablecommercial recovery.Z. V. Harvalik,"Flotation of Graphite from Arkansas Ores", Arkansas Academy of Science1951.•Research Paper No. 1046 Journal Series. University of Arkansas133Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 5 [1952], Art. 25Published by Arkansas Academy of Science, 1952134Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science, Vol. 5 [1952], Art. 25http://scholarworks.uark.edu/jaas/vol5/iss1/25

X-Ray Investigations of Arkansas Graphites

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X-Ray Investigations of Arkansas Graphites

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