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United Arab Emirates limestones: impact of petrography on thermal behavior

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Abstract

The thermal behavior of selected limestones from representative localities of the United Arab Emirates is investigated for their suitability for soft-burnt lime production. The limestone samples were collected from the Ghalilah, Musandam, Shauiba, Muthaymimah, Dammam and Asmari formations. The samples were characterized for petrography, mineral and chemical composition, together with physico-mechanical characteristics. Investigative methods included transmitted light microscopy (TLM), cathodoluminescence (CLM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), as well as X-ray micro-tomography (μ-CT), XRD, XRF and Archimedes method. The limestone samples were fired in an electrical muffle furnace for 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 hours at 800, 900, 1,000 and 1,100 °C. After firing the lime grains were tested to determine their hydration rate and microfabric. The Ghalilah and Musandam limes show the lowest and highest maximum hydration rates, respectively, due mainly to the impure nature of the former, and the smaller lime crystallites and dominance of post-calcination micro-cracks of the latter. The Dammam and Asmari limes preserve a “ghost” microfabric of the original limestone. Higher allochem contents impose lower activation energy requirements for calcination, which implies earlier calcination of the allochems. The Musandam, Shauiba and Muthaymimah limestones may be useful for the production of reactive soft-burnt lime under the applied firing conditions, however, the Dammam and Asmari limestones need more advanced calcination conditions than the applied ones. The Ghalilah limestone was found to be unsuitable for the production of lime.

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Acknowledgements

This research work is fully funded by the United Arab Emirates University under the project number FOS/MRG-06/11. The authors are deeply grateful to Dr. Khalid Al Bloushi, Dr. Mohamed El-Marzouky and Dr. Amr Eldieb for their sincere help during the exercise of this research work. The authors are also of thankful to Dr. Abdel-Rahman Fowler of the United Arab Emirates University, for his critical revision of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geology Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Sulaiman Alaabed, Osman Abdelghany, Bahaa Eldin Mahmoud Amin, Mohamed El Tokhi & Abdullah Musalim

  2. Geology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, , P.O. Box 11566, Egypt

    Abdel Monem Soltan & Osman Abdelghany

  3. Chemistry Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, P.O. Box 15551, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    Abbas Khaleel

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  1. Sulaiman Alaabed
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  2. Abdel Monem Soltan
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  3. Osman Abdelghany
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  4. Bahaa Eldin Mahmoud Amin
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  5. Mohamed El Tokhi
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  6. Abbas Khaleel
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  7. Abdullah Musalim
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Correspondence to Abdel Monem Soltan.

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Editorial handling: J. G. Raith

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Alaabed, S., Soltan, A.M., Abdelghany, O. et al. United Arab Emirates limestones: impact of petrography on thermal behavior. Miner Petrol 108, 837–852 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-014-0329-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-014-0329-3

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