Evaluation, Radioactivity and Mechanical Analysis of the Top Meter Black Sands North East of Motobas Industerial Sector, Kafr Al-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt.

Abstract

The coastal plain of study area covered by sea water rich in fines derived from the clay lenses of the continental shelf by erosion process comprises three zones; eastern, middle and western. So, the high content of fines varies from 0.72 % to 74.08 with an average of 18%. The apparent specific gravity of topmost part of the sands one meter thick varies from 1.29 g/cm³ to 1.74 g/cm³ with an average of 1.59 g/cm³. The studied sediments are derived from river environment, due to the high content of clay and organic matter in the raw sands. The average percentage of sand fraction finer than 125 micron has an average value of 19.51 %, in which the total heavy fractions constitutes 92.78 % in average of its total amounts. The calculated total reserve of the economic heavy minerals reaches up to 578,760 tons separated from 2893.800 tons bulk sands. Its mineral constituents are; 182,850 tons magnetite, 329,130 tons ilmenite, 23,850 tons garnet, 14,310 tons leucoxene, 20,670 tons zircon, 6,996 tons rutile and 954 tons monazite. The radiometric measurements of the study area revealed that the western zone which occupies four square kilometers have high values of specific activity, absorbed and effective doses because of its high contents of monazite and radioactive zircon, while the eastern and middle zones each occupy three square kilometers posses a moderate to low values of these activities respectively. Therefore, the the western zone is not recommended as building materials because of its relatively high radioactivity. Meanwhile, sands of the middle and eastern zones are recommended for the same target, after separation the economic and strategic minerals of strategic importance.

Environmental and mineralogical studies on the stream sediments of Baltim–El Burullus coastal plain, North Delta, Egypt

“…Mineral sand deposits in Egypt are found in various forms, beach deposits and coastal sand dunes. Sands with grades suitable for exploitation occur in the beach of Rosetta, Damietta, Baltim–El Burullus and north Sinai at El Arish 9 – 11 . The grade and reserves of the economic heavy minerals in the Egyptian black sands are appreciably high compared to other similar major world occurrences 12 , 13 .…”