Institute of Geology and Mineral Hellenic Geosphaera Exploration (I.G.M.E.) Special Issue March 2008 CONTENTS Newsletter of the Institute of Geology and Mineral Exploration (I.G.M.E.) Introductory address from the General 1 L.E.P.L. Supervised by the Ministry Director of the I.G.M.E. of Development (L. 272/76) Director General Prof. A. Georgakopoulos Hellenic industrial minerals and rocks: 2 current research performed by the I.G.M.E., Editorial Board: by N. Kaklamanis EurGeol Alecos Demetriades The modern filler laboratory of I.G.M.E. 6 Dr. Irene Zananiri Alexandra Zervakou Potential industrial applications of vein- 7 Athanasios Makris quartz resources in Northern Hellas, Dr. Michalis Patronis by N. Arvanitidis Dr. Athanasios Hatzikirkou Mineralogical - Petrographical laboratories 14 Editing of this issue: Applied mineralogy for the efficient 15 EurGeol Alecos Demetriades exploitation of wasted magnesite Run-Of- Fotini Chalkiopoulou Mine fines, by F. Chalkiopoulou, M. Grossou-Valta, S. Karantassi I.G.M.E. Central Offices: “LITHOS”: The accredited ornamental stone 20 1, Spirou Loui, str. quality control laboratory of the I.G.M.E. Olympic Village, Entrance C 136 77 Acharnae Hellenic marble through the ages: an 21 overview of the marble producing areas and Tel. +30 210 2413000 the stone sector of today, Fax +30 210 2413015 by K. Laskaridis http://www.igme.gr/ The contribution of petrography to the 27 Edition distributed free of charge. evaluation of carbonate aggregates for Articles represent the views of the author(s). concrete production, by M. Dimitroula Quotation / reproduction is permitted only with proper citation of the source. Radioactivity control of building and 31 decorative materials, by F. Pergamalis, Communication: D.E. Karageorgiou, A. Koukoulis, [email protected] D. Persianis An overview of the industrial mineral 35 resources of Greece, by I. Marantos, K. Hatzilazaridou MARMIN STONE 2008 44 ISSN: 1791-4523 INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS FROM THE GENERAL DIRECTOR OF THE INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGY AND MINERAL EXPLORATION ellenic Geosphaera is a quarterly Magazine of the Institute of Geology and Min- eral Exploration (I.G.M.E.), published with the aim to inform the public of the H activities and important work the Institute has and continues to perform in the geoscientific field. The natural environment is directly connected to the geological structure of our country, which the I.G.M.E. systematically studies since 1950. The Special Issue of the Magazine that you have in your hands is dedicated to Indus- trial Minerals and Rocks, and presents a small part of the research performed at the National and European level in this field. It is published to commemorate the occasion of the I.G.M.E’s participation as local co-organiser of the 19th International Industrial Minerals Congress and Exhibition (IMC). The Institute shows a remarkable activity in the field of Industrial Minerals and Rocks. Further to identifying and studying occurrences over the country by applying the inno- vations offered by modern technology, it is currently active in the following activities: • Compilation of G.I.S. data bases and maps that will include past and current informa- tion on deposits of industrial minerals and rocks; • Geological mapping at various scales (1:500 – 1:50,000) of selected areas of inter- est; • Development of know-how for the exploitation of industrial minerals, residues from marble exploitation, aggregates and other raw materials for the production of mar- ketable products; • Evaluation of raw materials for cement manufacture; • Development of tools for the after-closure beneficial use of abandoned quarries; • Evaluation of new deposits (e.g., zeolites, pozzolanas), and • Compilation of inventories of wastes from quarries/mines, as well as other wastes, such as fly ash. It is worth mentioning at this point that the organisation of the 19th IMC in Hellas coin- cides with the actions that have been undertaken for the “International Year of Planet Earth” (www.yearofplanetearth.org). The “International Year of Planet Earth 2007-2009” aims “to capture the people’s imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet and we see that knowledge used to make the Earth a safer, healthier and wealthier place for our chil- dren and grandchildren”. The General Director Prof. A.N. Georgakopoulos HELLENIC INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS: CURRENT RESEARCH PERFORMED BY THE I.G.M.E. Nikos Kaklamanis Mining Engineer ([email protected]) I.G.M.E., Division of Mineral Processing Current Industrial Mineral Research 1. FRAMEWORK AND OBJECTIVES Operational Programme Currently, the research carried out Industrial Minerals, not only the “Competitiveness” by the I.G.M.E., for the location and ones examined currently, but also those studied in the past by the Support Framework evaluation of Hellenic Industrial Min- I.G.M.E. III erals and Rocks is included in the project entitled “Industrial Minerals The project is subdivided into ten – Innovative Technologies – New separate sub-projects, each one Products”, funded by the Community covering a specific industrial mineral Support Framework III, Operational commodity of Hellas, and specifi- Programme “Competitiveness”. The cally: (a) Feldspars, (b) Quartz, (c) project, with a total budget of 1.1 Zeolites, (d) Vermiculite, (e) Oli- million Euros, has the following prin- vinites, (f) Garnet, (g) Industrial cipal objectives: Minerals for cement industries, (h) • Rational exploitation of mineral Clays, (i) White Carbonates, and (j) resources via the development of Fly-ash. As mentioned above, all environmentally friendly tech- project results will be included in a nologies/methodologies for the Data Base, which shall also incorpo- utilisation of Industrial Minerals, rate all relevant data concerning by-products and wastes. Hellenic Industrial Minerals & Rocks. • Reinforcement of the local indus- In addition, three activities—tasks, tries’ competitiveness by improv- namely (a) a G.I.S. data base for ing production procedures, elimi- Hellenic Industrial Minerals, (b) ap- nating production costs and pro- plication tests regarding the use of moting new high-added value commercial product types. Industrial Minerals for the neutrali- sation of effluents, and (c) study of • Development of new products, zeolite-vermiculite ash as a soil im- new markets and new fields of prover, were subcontracted and im- applications. plemented by private companies, • Utilisation of by-products and which are supporting the research wastes in order to produce low- activities undertaken by the I.G.M.E. cost raw materials. within the aforementioned sub- • Utilisation of Industrial Minerals in projects. environmental applications, in- In the following paragraphs, the cluding elimination of environ- mental impacts. main objectives and work carried out in each sub-project are concisely • Design and development of a discussed. The major exploration G.I.S. Data Base for the Hellenic Page 2 Hellenic Geosphaera: Special Issue on Industrial Minerals & Rocks of Hellas CURRENT RESEARCH ON INDUSTRIAL MINERALS and research sites, covered by the project are prising mainly magnetic separation of composite presented schematically on the map of Figure 1. samples and acid treatment, as well as calcina- tion tests on non- magnetic products, (d) collec- 2. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF tion of two bulk samples, each of 20 tonnes SUB-PROJECTS weight, and finally (e) pilot plant test-work. 2.1. Feldspars 2.3. Zeolites This sub-project aims to contribute to the devel- The research is carried out in Thrace (Northern opment of innovative and environmentally Hellas, Rhodope and Evros Prefectures) and the friendly technologies for mineral processing of Prefectures of Arkadia and Lakonia in Pelopon- feldspathic raw materials. The proposed tech- nesus. The aim of this sub-project is to evaluate nologies will be applied on different important the natural zeolite deposits, occurring in the types of Hellenic deposits, such as pegmatites, aforementioned areas, in terms of their techni- tuffs, rhyolites and granites, in order to evalu- cal and economic feasibility for the production ate the feasibility and technical efficiency of of materials appropriate for (a) the treatment- corresponding cases, for the production of high purification of potable water, (b) treatment of grade and high added value commercial prod- liquid effluents for removal of heavy metal ucts with parallel elimination of environmental (such as Pb, Cd, Cu, Cr, Ni), (c) improvement of impacts. Major tasks of the project were: (a) soil in combination with other raw materials, geological mapping of an area of 6 km2 (scale such as fly ash and vermiculite. The research 1:5,000) and a second of 0.1 km2 (scale performed to date included the following: 1:200), (b) collection of 150 samples, (c) labo- • Geological mapping of an area of 3 km2 ratory measurement and testing, comprising (scale 1:5,000), a second of 10 km2 (scale mainly magnetic separation and flotation test 1:5.000) and a third of 32 km2 (scale work, (d) collection of 5 bulk samples, each of 1 1:50.000) at Petrota (Evros Prefecture, tonne weight, (e) pilot plant test work, and fi- Thrace, N.E. Hellas), as well as compilation nally (f) market research. of geological sections of 30 km total length, • Collection of 100 hand samples of zeolite for 2.2. Quartz laboratory research and mainly the measure- The aim of the sub-project is to develop benefi- ment of their ion exchange capacity, ciation methods for the treatment of high purity • Compilation of an inventory of 400 fountain- vein quartz reserves from Northern Hellas, in head sites, and collection of 400 water sam- order to produce ultra–pure grades of quartz. ples located in the Peloponnesus area. The specific research focuses on extracting low– • Collection of a composite bulk sample of sodium quartz deposits and developing new about 15 m3 that was mainly used for testing technologies for efficient removal of fluid inclu- in different agricultural applications. sions, which contain a relatively high percent- 2.4.