DIATOMITES AND OPOKA FROM WESTERN KAZAKHSTAN DEPOSITS: LITHOGEOCHEMISTRY, STRUCTURAL AND TEXTURAL PARAMETERS, POTENTIAL OF USE

Link for citation: Smirnov P.V., Zhakipbayev B.E., Staroselets D.A., Deryagina O.I., Batalin G.A., Gareev B.I., Vergunov A.V. Diatomites and opoka from Western Kazakhstan deposits: lithogeochemistry, structural and textural parameters, potential of use. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2023, vol. 334, no. 7, рр. 187-201. In Rus. The relevance. In recent decades, individual studies in the Republic of Kazakhstan have been aimed at expanding the potential of using rocks of large and industrial exploitation of silicite deposits for revising their physicochemical, mineralogical parameters, and assessing the prospects for expanding their use in new industries and technologies in the construction and technical industries, materials science based on deep chemical processing of mineral raw materials. The article presents new data on the chemical-mineralogical and structural parameters of diatomites from the Utesai deposit and opoka from the Taskala deposit of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The main aim: comprehensive analysis of the chemical-mineral composition and structural and textural features of rocks from two largest deposits of silicon raw materials in the Western part of Kazakhstan – the Utesai diatomite deposit and the Taskala opoka deposit. Objects: diatomites of the Utesai deposit and opoka of the Taskala deposits in the western part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Methods: field research, lithological and petrographic analysis of thin sections, X-ray diffraction analysis, differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray fluorescence analysis. Results. The studied diatomites and opoka are characterized by a high degree of homogeneity; they are represented by typical phases for silicic rocks of the region – opal-CT, clay minerals with an admixture of quartz and feldspars. From the mineralogical point of view, the most obvious difference between the studied diatomites and the Trans-Urals is the significant content of kaolinite – over 10 %, while in the diatomites of the Trans-Urals, the main clay component is smectite and mixed-layer illite-smectite formations. The rocks under consideration are clayey diatomites and clayey flasks, the total content of basic oxides allows us to characterize raw materials as medium quality, most suitable for the production of foam glass materials, and, in particular, glass fiber, in the production of which alumina is an important functional component. At the same time, the significant content of clay and other impurities does not allow us to recommend such raw materials for the production of filter and sorbing materials.