DOLOMITE
Dolomite is usually formed in limestone rich in magnesium. It is found in altered basic magmatic rocks containing magnesium, in veins and limestone spaces, in hydrothermal vein mineralization and more commonly in the form of gangue minerals around galena and sphalerite.
Dolomite is a mineral formed by calcium and magnesium found in limestone (CaCO3). Its specific gravity is between 2.71 and 2.87 tons/m3 depending on the magnesium content and its hardness is between 3.5-4. Dolomite has both raw and calcined forms of use. It is a mineral that has a wide circulation in the world and in Turkey and has no problem of reserve. Nearly half of the world production, about 120 million tonnes, is produced in the United States.
The most important part of production in Turkey is used only in the iron-steel and glass industries
Dolomite, depending on its physical and chemical structure, can be used in many industrial fields. The most important areas are mentioned below.
The most important areas of use are the manufacture of refractory materials and as flux after calcination to ensure that unwanted impurities in the production of steel rise to the surface as slag. It is for this reason that the industries in which dolomite is most used are glass, soda, refractories and iron-steel.
- As filling material in road construction and concrete construction
- In agriculture, as a filling material in fertilizer manufacturing and soil improvement
- In the glass and soda industries
- As filling material in the paint industry
- In the ceramic industry
- As a whitener in the chemical industry
- In water filtration
- In the chemical industry during the manufacture of ferrosilicon
- In the production of firebricks and mortars
- In the iron-steel industry when sintering iron ore
- In the production of steel as a chemical preservative of slag and refractory bricks
- In road constructions and in concrete production as a filling material
- In agriculture, as a filling material for fertilizers and as a soil improver
- In dye industry , as a filling material
- In ceramic industry
- In chemical industry, as a bleach
- In water filtration
- In chemical industry, for production of ferrosilicons
- In production of refractor bricks and their plaster
- In iron and steel industry , for sintering the iron core
- In steel production , as a safety for refractor bricks and as a slag producer