Chemical and Mineralogical Analysis of High-Purity Quartz From New Deposits in a Greek Island, for Potential Exploration

Abstract

The current study presents an original chemical, elemental and mineralogical characterization of new quartz mineral deposits situated in Ios island, Cyclades, Aegean sea, Greece, via X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) trace-element analysis. Actually, the mineral Quartz (crystalline SiO2) is found in nature in varying quality and is explored and traded for use in different applications of significant importance depending on the quartz purity. The results of the thorough chemical and mineralogical analysis indicate that quartz originating from the location examined in this research is almost free from other microcrystalline phases, and therefore it can be characterized as highly pure α-quartz. Thus, it can be used in the industry of ultra-high purity quartz production for specific applications, as long as the deposits are exploitable. In this framework, a preliminary estimation of the economic benefits from a potential exploration versus the environmental aspects of mining, taking into account sustainability issues in the region, is provided highlighting the local social needs