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The
Mining Column
Mining
Opportunities in Hail Region (I)
by Dr. Salah Zugail
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Hail
Region is characterized by its diverse geological
environment which has played a
major role
in the mineralizing prospects of Hail in general. I will
focus, in this article, on one of the economically important
mining deposits that is magnesite.
Magnesite,
the mineral magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), is the
principal source of magnesium, which varies from
white to grey and
sometimes from white to black.
Magnesite exists in two distinct forms: massive
deposits on the surface and irregular veins underground.
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Important
location
Dharghat
The
most important deposits are located in the south of Hail at
Dharghat (160 km off the main road between Hail and Medina).
This area contains a higher concentration of magnesium oxide,
which represents the overall reserve of raw materials that can
be easily extracted.
Uses
of Magnesia
Magnesia,
which resists melting, represents 85% of the production used in
steel manufactories as oven liners, electrical transformers’
covers, copper refineries, and cement furnace. It
is also used in chemical industries, agriculture, papermaking,
and pharmaceutical products. The uses of Magnesia can be
classified in three main types of applications: Calcined
Magnesia, Deadburned Magnesia, and Fused Magnesia.
Calcined
Magnesia
Calcined
magnesia is used in
various agriculture areas such as animal husbandry, fertilizers.
It is also used in industrial applications as electrical
insulations.
Deadburned
Magnesia
Deadburned
magnesia has the highest melting point compared with other refractory
oxides. Thus, it is used in refractory applications in rotary
furnace and boiling furnace in steel industries.
Fused
Magnesia
Fused
magnesia is used in refractory and electrical insulations.
Because fused magnesia has a higher corrosion resistance, it is
widely used in steel industries in high wear areas, eg, electric
furnaces, stove grills, converters and ladles.
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