Contribution
to geochemistry and Cu-U mineralogy of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks, west central
Sinai, Egypt
N. El Hazek, A. El Kammar1,
M. Mahdy and T. Amer
Nuclear Materials Authority, Cairo, Egypt. 1Fac.
Sciences, Cairo Univ., Giza, Egypt. |
Beside uranium, copper and manganese, 12 trace
elements were quantitatively determined in samples representing various sedimentary facies
of the Paleozoic in west central Sinai. The geochemical picture of the trace elements
shows non-significant correlation between U and Cu or any of analyzed trace elements. This
indicates separate mineralization phases of uranium and copper. It is therefore possible
to emphasize that the Mn-Fe ores were first deposited followed by an independent separate
enrichment of either secondary uranium or copper minerals.
The mineral studies were conducted using microscopic examination, XRD, IR and DTA
techniques. Uranium minerals meta-torbernite, uranophane beta-uranophane and clarkeite are
identified. The last two minerals (in Abu Thor and Alloga) in addition to paratacamite,
langite and spangolite identified here for the first time. The silver mineral andorite, as
an evidence of prevailing reducing paleoenvironment, is here detected, identified and
studied for the first time.
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