GEOLOGIC STUDY of SAND DEPOSITS in the STATE of MICHIGAN
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GEOLOGIC STUDY of SAND DEPOSITS in the STATE of MICHIGAN Phase I - Final Report - 1978 Open File Report - OFR 78 03 Geological Survey Division Lansing, Michigan By S. Paul Sundeen Institute of Mineral Research Michigan Technological University Houghton, Michigan 49931 United States Army Corps. of Engineers Contract No. DACW35 - 78 - 0019 October 1978 Copyright © 2001 by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Geological Survey Division (GSD). The DEQ GSD grants permission to publish or reproduce this document, all or in part, for non-profit purposes. The contents of this electronic document (whole or in part) can be used if, and only if, additional fees are not associated with the use or distribution of this document and credit is given to the DEQ GSD and the author(s). This copyright statement must appear in any and all electronic or print documents using this file or any part thereof. INTRODUCTION..................................................................2 GEOLOGIC STUDY of SAND DEPOSITS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS....................................................3 in the STATE of MICHIGAN, SUMMARY...........................................................................3 PHASE I GEOLOGY ...........................................................................3 INTRODUCTION General........................................................................3 Sand Deposits .............................................................4 Industrial sand, also known as quartz or silica sand, has a variety of uses, the most important of which are as molds REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS ........................4 and cores for metal castings in foundries, and for making General........................................................................4 glass. A minor amount of industrial sand is used as traction Foundry Sand Specifications [1]..................................4 sand (for railroad locomotives), as a propping agent in hydraulic fracturing of oil wells, as an abrasive, and in Glass Sand [3] .............................................................7 certain building materials. The requirements and Chemical Specifications. .............................................7 specifications of the foundry and glass making industries Minor Contaminants. ...................................................8 vary depending on the exact usage but usually fairly rigid Physical Specifications................................................8 chemical and physical requirements must be met. Only certain select sands can meet these requirements. SAMPLING PROGRAM ......................................................9 Michigan is the nation’s leading industrial sand producer. Site Selection...............................................................9 This is due partly to the large number of foundries related to Sampling Methods.....................................................10 the auto industry in the region. However, it is primarily Results of Field Sampling..........................................11 because Michigan has large deposits of easily mined Discussion of Field Observations ..............................11 industrial sand, which meets, or can be relatively cheaply treated to meet, the specifications of the foundry industry, LABORATORY STUDIES .................................................12 which is by far the largest user of industrial sand. There are General Statement of Treatment...............................12 a number of types and locations of industrial sand sources Mineralogical Examination.........................................12 In Michigan, the most important being the coastal sand dunes, which occur along or near the shore of Lake Sieve and Clay Analyses...........................................12 Michigan. Because the dune sands are easily mined, and Chemical Analysis (Glass Sands) .............................14 little treatment is necessary, production costs are low. DISCUSSION AND EVALUATION OF RESULTS............14 Michigan dune sand is shipped to several other states in - the midwest as well as to Ontario. General Observations................................................14 Field Data ..................................................................15 Michigan sand producers furnish nearly 50% of the total U.S. consumption of foundry sand as well as a considerable Mineralogy .................................................................15 amount of glass sand. In 1974, over 5,000,000 tons of Other Laboratory Data...............................................15 industrial sand were produced In the state. The producers Glass Sands ..............................................................15 along the Lake Michigan shoreline (see Fig. 1) mine primarily coastal dune sands. The other production is from CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.................15 inland dune sands, glacial outwash sands, ancient beach References........................................................................16 sands and lake bottom sands (Saginaw Bay). Because coastal sand dunes constitute a unique geographical and ecological environment, their preservation has recently become an important Issue. As a Copyright © 2001 by the Michigan Department of consequence, the Michigan Legislature passed the “Sand Environmental Quality (DEQ) Geological Survey Dune Protection and Management Act, of 1976 to regulate Division (GSD). The DEQ GSD grants permission to and control coastal dune sand mining. Coastal dune sand, publish or reproduce this document, all or in part, as defined by this act, includes all sands within 2 miles of for non-profit purposes. The contents of this the shoreline of any of the Great Lakes. This act also electronic document (whole or in part) can be used required that a study be made of potential sources of industrial sand, which might be developed, as an alternative if, and only if, additional fees are not associated with to coastal dune sands. the use or distribution of this document and credit is given to the DEQ GSD and the author(s). This The purposes of this study are: (1) to identify non - coastal copyright statement must appear in any and all dune sand deposits In Michigan by ‘location, geologic type, electronic or print documents using this file or any and to a lesser extent, quantity and quality; (2) to assess the suitability of selected individual deposits for each of the part thereof. major industrial uses of sand; (3) to determine on a limited MI DEQ GSD Geologic Study of Sand Deposits in the State of Michigan OFR 78 03.PDF page 2 of 20 basis the amenability of selected sands to beneficiation in analyses were made of selected sands to determine their order to meet specifications for various industrial uses; and potential for glassmaking. (4) to formulate recommendations for the continuation of the The results indicated that the specifications of many study by the Geological Survey Division of the Michigan samples fell within the rather broad range of satisfactory Department of Natural Resources of those areas not specifications as based on available industry sources. It is covered by the project. however, difficult to determine what physical or chemical The scope of Phase I of this study includes: (1) a literature parameters are really critical for what foundry uses, but search to acquire information relevant to the location, considering that this is a search for substitutes for coastal quantity, and quality of Michigan sand deposits, and (2) a dunes, it appears that inland dune sands •are generally too broad scale reconnaissance and sampling of sands, other fine - grained to be satisfactory substitutes. Sandstone than coastal dune sands, of Michigan consisting of deposits, except for the already producing Sylvania approximately 300 samples from inland dune areas, 200 formation, are too poorly exposed and too impure to be samples from glacial outwash areas, and 50 samples from good glass sand sources. There do appear to be extensive friable sandstone occurrences. Also included are pertinent areas in belts of glacial outwash which, based on laboratory tests on the sand samples, evaluation of all the preliminary data, contain sands which could be suitable acquired information, and recommendations for more substitutes for coastal dune sands. selective and detailed work to be undertaken in Phase II of this study. The pinpointing of individual deposits cannot yet be reasonably done with available information, however, it is The literature review, field work, and laboratory work on possible to select areas where a more detailed investigation which this report is based were carried out during the period is warranted. Nine such areas are identified in this report. from May through September, 1978. The criteria for their selection were: (1) grain - fineness number approximating that of coastal dune sands; (2) acid demand values less than 5.0; (3) clay content less than 2.0; ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS (4) apparent continuity in sand quality and (5) proximity to The writer would like to acknowledge the assistance of transportation and existing industrial sand production. many of the staff of the Geological Survey Division of the Selection of five areas for the Phase II study will be made Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and in by negotiations with the contracting officer. particular, H. 0. Sorensen and W. A. Walden for providing statistical data, maps, samples and other information vital to this study. GEOLOGY The assistance of colleagues at the Institute of Mineral General