Trace and REE Geochemistry of Bauxite Deposit of Darai–Daldali Plateau, Kabirdham District, Chhattisgarh, India
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J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020) 129:117 Ó Indian Academy of Sciences https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-020-1377-1 (0123456789().,-volV)(0123456789().,-volV) Trace and REE geochemistry of bauxite deposit of Darai–Daldali plateau, Kabirdham district, Chhattisgarh, India 1 1, 2 BHUMIKA DAS ,MWYKHAN * and HARISH DHRUW 1SOS in Geology and WRM, Pt. RSU, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. 2Regional ODce, Directorate of Geology and Mines, Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, India. *Corresponding author. e-mail: [email protected] MS received 4 August 2019; revised 19 January 2020; accepted 21 January 2020 The Darai–Daldali plateau preserves well developed laterite type bauxite deposits as a result of in-situ weathering of basaltic rocks (Deccan Traps). The bauxite ore is essentially composed of gibbsite and boehmite in subordinate amount, along with anatase and brookite as accessory minerals. Kaolinite, goethite, hematite, ilmenite, gibbsite and brookite are found in lateritic bauxite and laterite samples in variable amounts. SiO2–Al2O3–Fe2O3 diagram illustrates strong bauxitization resulting from desilication in the early stage. The disilication was followed by bauxitization and deferruginization at late stages as a result of reducing and oxidizing conditions, respectively, due to Cuctuating water table, which is evidently supported by A–L–F plot. Progressive loss/gain in FMTE, LILE, HFSE and REE during bauxitization process of basalt through lateritic bauxite facies is observed. La/Y varying from 1.17 to 4.11 suggests prevalence of alkaline conditions. Positive Eu/Eu* anomaly in these samples is suggestive of colloidal precipitation of gibbsite from pore water of lateritic residuum. Mass increase of Ce in laterite samples further supports to its sorption on goethite and hematite mineral phases. Keywords. Trace and REE; bauxite Darai–Daldali plateau; Kabirdham. 1. Introduction models based on their respective investigations. In India, a vast area of west-central part covering states Bauxite has long been investigated globally, for its of Maharashtra, parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujrat significance as an ore of alumina, as well as in and Chhattisgarh is underlain by continental Cood understanding the mobility of elements in weather- basalts of Paleocene age (Deccan Traps), which host ing processes. A number of scientists have investi- numerous important bauxite deposits, resulting gated the mineralogical and petrographical aspects from lateritization processes (Meshram and Ran- of bauxite, such as Kangarani et al. (2007), Taylor dive 2011; Kale et al. 2013; Patel et al. 2014). These et al. (2008), Bayiga et al. (2011). Further, Aagaard deposits have been studied in detail as regards to (1974), Didier et al. (1983), Boulange and Colin their mineralogy, geochemistry and genesis (Bala- (1994), Braun (1991), and Braun et al. (1990) have subramaniam et al. 1984; Patel et al. 2014 and many worked on the geochemical aspects including others). However, as regards to mass balance chan- mobility behaviour of rare earth and trace elements ges related to trace elements in lateritic type baux- during the transformation of parent rock to bauxite. ites of basaltic parentage is not given much These investigators have also proposed genetic attention, except Sastri and Sastry (1982) who dealt 117 Page 2 of 15 J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020) 129:117 with major element composition. Therefore, we 2. Geological setting carried out detailed mineralogical and geochemical studies of the bauxite deposits of Darai–Daldali The present study area is situated in SOI toposheet plateau; district Kabirdham, Chhattisgarh, India, in no. 64 F/3 is bounded by latitudes 22°2203000– order to evaluate the mobility of major, trace and 22°2703000N and longitudes 81°1000000–81°1203000E, REE in the lateritic proBle, wherein bauxite ores having maximum elevation of 940 m above mean have developed over Deccan traps. sea level. A sequence of Deccan lava Cows capped Figure 1. Geological map of Darai–Daldali plateau, Kabirdham district, Chhattisgarh, (modiBed after Mathur 2005). (1) Chilpi Group, (2) Deccan Traps (Basalt), (3) Laterite with bauxite, (4) Bauxite pits (G: Gamdapara, K: Kesmarda, M: Mahaveer Minerals), and (5) soil cover. J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020) 129:117 Page 3 of 15 117 by laterite and lateritic bauxites constitutes the Inspectorate GrifBth India Pvt. Ltd., Bhuba- topmost geological formation, unconformably neswar, India (tables 2, 3). Fourteen samples of overlying the slates and phyllites of Chilpi Group. bauxite and laterite, and one sample of basalt was The Deccan lava Cows, which are almost hori- analyzed for trace elements (table 4) using induc- zontal, are generally massive. The total thickness tively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) of laterite is about 15–20 m in Darai–Daldali at National Geophysical Research Institute, plateau and comprises several recognizable litho- Hyderabad, India following methods of Mani- logical units (Bgure 1). The low lying areas and kyamba et al. (2012). Detailed mineralogical anal- interCuves of small streams are occupied either by ysis of 18 samples representing bauxite, lateritic phyllites, slates with interbedded quartzite of bauxite and laterite was performed by X-ray Chilpi Group (Middle Proterozoic) or covered by diAraction (XRD) at MMIT, Bhubaneswar using alluvium. The rocks of Chilpi Group uncon- Cu Ka radiation operating at 40 KV and 20 mA by formably overly the Nandgaon Group (Mathur means of Phillips X-ray diAractometer (PW-1710). 2005). The samples were run for 2h between 10° and 70° corresponding to d-values between 9 and 1.68 A. The d-values were compared with JCPDS data 3. Methodology book. Petrographic studies were carried out under transmitted and reCected light on an Axiopol-40 Field investigations comprise study of laterite/ microscope Btted with digital camera. bauxite proBle in different mine pit sections and For the convenience of presentation, these collection of representative samples (table 1). samples have been classiBed using major element Twenty samples were collected from mine pits and composition into bauxite (Al2O3: [ 40%, Fe2O3: 10 samples from three drill-hole cores. Out of which 3.0–5.0% and SiO2: \ 2.0%); lateritic bauxites 23 samples of bauxite and laterite, and two samples (Al2O3: 20.0–35.0%, Fe2O3: 20.0–40.0% and of basalts were analyzed for determination of SiO2: \ 30.0%) and laterite (Al2O: 15.0–30.0%, major elements using wet chemical methods at Fe2O3: [ 40.0%, SiO2: \ 20%). Table 1. Details of sample locations. Map no. Drill hole no. Latitude Longitude Sample nos. Depth (m) DH-1 DN4W8-1 22°24012.800N81°11028.1600E B-1 Bauxite 3.60 B-2 Bauxite 5.80 LB-3 Lateritic bauxite 7.25 L-4 Laterite 10.40 DH-2 DN5W6-III 22°24012.2000N81°11025.3700E B-5 Bauxite 3.30 LB-6 Lateritic bauxite 5.50 L-7 Laterite 11.60 DH-3 DN31W3-B 22°24048.0300N81°11021.1800E B-8 Bauxite 1.80 B-9 Bauxite 2.40 LB-10 Lateritic bauxite 3.0 L-11 Laterite 4.20 G-1 Gamdapara Mine 22°26048.500N81°10048.100E LB-12 Lateritic bauxite Surface samples B-13 Bauxite 50 m apart B-14 Bauxite B-15 Bauxite K-1 Kesmarda Mine 22°27011.1000N81°11018.400E LB-16 Lateritic bauxite Surface samples B-17 Bauxite 50 m apart B-18 Bauxite B-19 Bauxite M1 Mahavir Mines 22°23050.200N81°9040.400E L-20 Laterite Surface samples B-21 Bauxite 10 m apart LB-22 Lateritic bauxite B-23 Laterite 117 Page 4 of 15 J. Earth Syst. Sci. (2020) 129:117 Table 2. Major element composition of basalt (BS), bauxite (B), lateritic bauxite (LB) and laterite (L) samples from Darai–Daldali plateau, Kabirdham district. Core no. DN4W8-I Core no. DN5W6-III Core no. DN31W3-B Gamdapara Mine Element LB- LB- wt.% B-1 B-2 LB-3 L-4 B-5 LB-6 L-7 B-8 B-9 10 L-11 12 B-13 B-14 B-15 SiO2 0.36 0.46 5.27 20.44 0.60 21.74 16.44 0.66 1.94 18.38 10.38 29.20 0.63 0.38 1.36 Al2O3 59.54 58.90 39.46 21.45 59.58 24.25 22.74 59.01 57.45 24.75 16.65 29.30 58.20 58.02 48.67 Fe2O3 3.29 3.19 28.43 43.08 4.20 36.40 43.30 3.20 5.60 39.16 58.14 21.38 3.98 3.99 13.66 TiO2 6.30 8.23 5.51 4.12 6.26 4.65 4.53 9.49 6.29 3.79 4.37 2.34 5.66 7.73 9.11 CaO 0.26 0.17 0.26 0.29 0.21 0.14 0.12 0.15 0.15 0.19 0.31 0.36 0.20 0.24 0.20 MgO 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.04 0.05 0.02 0.05 0.04 0.04 0.03 0.05 K2O 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.02 0.01 0.03 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.03 0.00 0.52 0.01 0.00 0.02 Na2O 0.02 0.01 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.02 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.00 0.05 0.00 0.00 0.00 MnO 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.02 LOI 25.98 26.24 23.76 11.83 27.70 8.54 15.05 27.50 27.80 13.58 10.85 16.72 27.80 29.50 27.65 Total 95.81 97.26 102.78 101.29 98.63 95.81 102.27 100.08 99.30 99.92 100.77 99.99 96.53 99.90 100.74 Kesmarda Mine Mahavir Mine Basalt Element wt.% L-16 B-17 B-18 B-19 L-20 B-21 LB-22 B-23 BS-1 BS-2 SiO2 14.85 0.62 0.52 0.34 7.31 0.20 4.99 0.50 45.51 45.87 Al2O3 24.33 56.93 58.49 58.27 26.52 58.25 31.47 63.48 15.98 14.12 Fe2O3 41.75 4.42 3.61 3.61 46.52 3.21 38.51 3.21 14.73 16.10 TiO2 4.66 8.29 8.75 7.26 3.41 7.04 5.55 5.87 2.89 3.14 CaO 0.34 0.33 0.15 0.17 0.21 0.17 0.17 0.17 10.36 11.13 MgO 0.05 0.02 0.03 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.01 6.18 6.76 K2O 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.03 0.01 0.41 0.38 Na2O 0.01 0.00 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 1.95 1.96 MnO 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.11 0.19 LOI 13.85 28.55 28.45 29.55 14.99 30.05 19.80 28.50 0.88 0.03 Total 99.86 99.17 100.02 99.24 99.02 98.97 100.57 101.76 100.00 99.68 Table 3.