ROCK SALT, GYPSUM, BAUXITE, SULPHUR,

BARITE, FLOURITE, CLAYS WITH SPECIAL

REFERNCE TO PAKISTAN
Group Members:
Muhammad Ansar saleem (bglf16m024)
muhammad harris khan (bglf16m031)
muhammad adnan (bglf16m033)
University Of Sargodha, Sargodha
 Rock Salt
• Rock Salt is a chemical sedimentary rock
that form from the evaporation of ocean
or saline lake waters.
• It is also known as by the mineral name
“Halite”

•Chemical Composition
• 98% NaCl
• CaSo4
• MgSo4
• Na2So4
Uses of Rock Salt
• Rock Salt is used as food.
• It is commonly used as a Extinguisher to
put out Kitchen fires or grease fires.
• It is used for ice melting on roads.
• Rock Salt has Hygroscopic properties (it
is able to induce dryness) that is why is
used for food preservation
Rock Salt with reference to Pakistan

• It occurs as large deposits in the Salt

Range formation of Pre-Cambrian
age in Panjab and Eocene age in
Bahadur-Khail salt formation in KPK.
• According to GSP, the Present
annual production of Salt from Salt
Range is 106,000 ton.
 Barite
• Barite is a mineral consisting of Barium Sulphate
(BaSo4).
• It is derived from a Greek word “Barys” means
“Heavy”.
• It occurs as a concretions and Void-filling crystals in
sediments and Sedimentary rocks.
• It is also very common in Limestone and Dolostone.
• It also serves as a principle Ore of Barium.
• Its Chemical Composition is “BaSO4”
Deposition of Barite
• Barite deposits are found throughout the world
in a variety of Geological environment.
• Often associated with lead and zinc deposits
and from residual deposits.
• It is mostly deposited in the form of residual,
vein and stratiform.

•Uses
• Used for Drilling mud
• High density filler for paper, rubber and
plastics.
• Used as a Pigment in Paints.
Upper cretaceous hosted
zinc –lead-barite deposit
Physical Properties
• Barite has very good or Prismatic
Cleavage.
• Color is colorless, white, light blue,
light yellow or light green.
• Its hardness on Moh’s scale is 2.5-
3.5
• Its Specific Gravity is 4.5
• Its luster is Pearly.
• Its Crystal system is Orthorhombic.
Barite with reference to Pakistan

• Barite deposits are found at Bankari

(Lasbela), Gunga (Khuzdar) and Koh-
e-Sultan (Chaghi)
• Its deposits are also found in
Baluchistan, Several places in
Haripur and Swat in KPK.
• Pakistan ranks 13th globally with
identified deposits of 13.71 million
tones of Barite.
Fluorite
• An Important industrial mineral having Calcium and
Fluorine (CaF2).
• Used as a flux, in the manufacturing of Steel, in
Enameling cooking utensils, for the preparation of
hydrofluoric acid etc.
•Fluorescence
• In 1852, George gabbroid Stokes discovered the
special ability of a specimen of Fluorine to produce
a blue glow when illuminated with light.This is
called as Fluorescence named after Fluorite mineral.
Deposition of Fluorite
• Fluorite is deposited in veins by
Hydrothermal Processes.
• In Rocks, It often occurs as Gangue
mineral associated with metallic
ores.
• Fluorite is also found in fractures and
cavities of some Limestones and
dolomites.
• In mining industry, Fluorite is called
as Fluorspar.
Physical Properties
• It is the only common mineral that
has four directions of perfect
cleavage.
• Its hardness on Moho’s Scale is 4.
• Its Specific Gravity is 3.2 which is
detectably higher than other
minerals.
• Color can be purple, yellow and
green translucent to transparent.
 • The main Fluorite deposits are found in Dilband ranges, Mula Zahri ranges
and Lorelai ranges of Baluchistan.

Fluorite with • 1st largest deposit of Fluorite from Pakistan are located in Dilband and
areas of Kirthar Fold belt.

reference to • The 72 ton of Koh Maran fluorite was reported by Bakar (1962-1965).
• Dilband Maran Fluorite is found as Calcite-Fluorite veins in Chilton

Pakistan Limestone.
• 2nd largest deposit was found in Chiltan limestone of Mula-Zahri ranges of
Kirthar fold belt.
• 3rd largest deposit was found in Lorelai district of Suleiman fold belt.
Bauxite

• It is basically not a mineral. It is a rock composed

of mainly Aluminum bearing minerals.
• It is Primary Ore of Aluminum.
• Almost all the Aluminum that has been
produced is extracted from Bauxite.
•Bauxite Composition
• It does not have any specific composition.
• It is a mixture of hydrous Aluminum oxides,
Aluminum Hydroxides, Clay minerals and
insoluble materials such as Quartz, Hematite,
Magnetite and Siderite etc.
Deposition of Bauxite
• Bauxite are residual deposits.
• They form when Laterite soils are
severely Leached of Silica and other
soluble materials in a wet tropical or
subtropical climate.

•Uses
• Bauxite is used for production of
Aluminum.
• Making Artificial abrasives.
Physical Properties
• Its hardness is typically 1-3 on Moho’s
scale.
• It has no cleavage.
• It has low Specific gravity between 2.0-
2.5.
• Color is usually red but Iron stain can
discolor Bauxite.
Bauxite with reference to Pakistan
• The commercial Bauxite deposits are in
the Katha-Pail area of Salt Range
• Chhoi-Akhori area of Kala-Chitta
Ranges
• Muzaffarabad Kotli region of Azad
Kashmir.
 Clay and Clay Rocks
• These are cohesive unconsolidated clastic
sedimentary rocks with size fraction less than
0.002mm or 2mm.
• It contains Kaolinite, Illite, montmorillonite,
chlorite, and mixed layer of Clay mineral.
• Apart from this, it also contains
silicates(quartz, mica,feldspar), biogenic
matter(microfossils kerogen) and diagenetic
minerals(pyrite and phosphates).
• These rocks can be modified at various
components like kaolin and Bauxite.
Clay Deposits
• Clay deposits are products of alteration, erosion and
sedimentation.
• Most Clay deposits are originated by erosion and
short transport in fluvial settings.
• Marine clays are rarely high grade but may be useful
after prolonged weathering.
• Refractory Clay Non Refractory Clay
• Also called as Fire clay MP. Less than 1520C
• MP. 158C. Compared to Refractory
• Mailny a function of clays.They display lower
• Elevated Al2O3 content content of Al2O3 having
• Provided by Kaolinite more Iron and Alkalis.
Physical Properties
• Clays are Plastic due to water content.
• Become hard, brittle and non clastic
upon drying and firing.
• Having various colors depending upon
the soil content. Its color varies from
white to dull grey or brown to deep
orange red.
•Uses
• Used for making for pottery and
construction products like bricks,
walls and Floor tiles.
• When it is used with another mineral
at firing conditions used to produce
porcelain and Stoneware.
 Clay with reference to
Pakistan
• Kaolin deposits are found in Swat
areas.
• Fire clays are found in Kala-Chitta
Range in Data Formation has Lower
Jurassic age.
• Largest Deposit is at Shah Den, about
24km Northwest of Saidu Sharif.
• Total Reserves of china and fire clay in
Pakistan are 2.7 million tonnes.
• Main resources are located in eastern
and western salt rang.
• Some deposits are also occur in trans-
indus area in the kishore range.
• Gypsum is soft mineral composed of calcium sulphate
dehydrate With chemical formula CaSo4.2H2O
• A massive fine grained variety of Gypsum called Alabaster.
• Density of Gypsum is 2.3g/cm3
• When heated to 65C, water is lost and remaining is very
reactive plaster of Paris. Gypsum
• When further heated at 95C, dehydration is completed and
structure transforms into Polymorph of Anhydride. This
Gypsum is called Dead Burned
 Deposits of Gypsum
• Formed by Chemical sediments of evaporating
marine or terrestrial water bodies.
• These rocks contain dolomite, saline clay stone
and salt rocks such as Halitite.
• With increasing concentration of sea water,
calcium sulphates are precipitated after
carbonate rocks and before rock salt.
• Gypsum is slightly soluble in fresh water, it
solubility displays a positive correlation with
temperature and salinity .
• Maximum salinity is at 58 degree Celsius does
not change significantly with fluid Salinty.
Physical
Properties
• Its Cleavage is Perfect
• Specific Gravity is 2.3
• Its Hardness is 2 at Moh’s Scale of
Hardness.
• Colorless, white, clear, red, brown or
yellow.

•Uses
• Used for manufacturing dry wall and
Plaster.
• Used for Building construction
• Used as a Fertilizer.
Gypsum with
reference to Pakistan
• Huge Gypsum deposits are
found in Sulaiman fold belt of
Balochistan.
• Also have Gypsum Mines like
Dadukhel, Dera Ismail khan,
khewra and kohat Mines.
 Sulphur
• Sulphur is a yellow, brittle solid.
• It occur in two polymorphs like:
Orthorhombic and Monoclinic
• Orthorhombic is stable at low
temperature that’s why it is called
“sedimentary Sulphur”.
• Monoclinic polymorphs is rare in nature
and stable above at 95.5 degree Celsius
• Sulphur melts at 115 C and boils at 445 C.
• It contains the traces of arsenic,
selenium, and tellurium.
Deposits of Sulphur
 Deposits of Sulphur occur as
1> By magmatic degassing in volcanic setting
2>As a product of microbial sulphate reduction of
gypsum or anhydrite
 Volcanogenic Sulphur deposits are form by
sublimation and ppt of elemental Sulphur , this is an
oxidation and reduction process.
 Diagenetic and biogenic S deposits are formed by the
reduction of Sulphur oxide (gypsum, anhydrite)
Physical Properties

 Having pale yellow or non metallic in color.

 Rhombic, Amorphous and Prismatic structure.
 Tasteless, odorless and insoluble in water.
 BP..444C
 Poor Conductor of heat and electricity

Uses
 Used as a component in black gun powder.
 Used as a Fungicide and used to make fertilizer
 Used to produce Sulphuric acid for Batteries.
Sulphur with reference to Pakistan

 Sulphur deposits of Chagai district are best known

in Pakistan.
 Deposits are also found in Koh-i-Sultan.
 Other deposits are found near Sanni in Kachi
District
 Bibliography
 Introduction to ore forming Processes by Laurence robb
 Economic Geology by Walther E. Petrascheck. Economic
Geology principles and practice
 Mineral resourcs of Pakistan by M. sadiq Malkani and Zafar
Mahmood
 www.Geology.com
 www.wikipedia.org
 www.britannica.com