• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.167-177
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• 2016

Smectitic clays, occurring in Kırka and Bigadiç boron evaporite deposits formed in Miocene playa lake environment in Turkey, contain $LiO_2$ 0.02-0.21% and 0.16-0.30%, respectively, and boron tailings are also reported to contain $LiO_2$ 0.04-0.26%. Lithium in smectitic clays was identified to be retained in hectorite. The XRD results revealed that hectorite was contained in 25.7% and 79.7% of Kırka and Bigadiç deposit samples respectively. In this study, we selected a clay sample from each deposit with lithium content of ~0.18% and estimated extractable lithium by acid treatment and roasting method commercially applicable to lithium resources, such as lepidolite and hectorite. When 1 g of crushed clay (particle size less than $74{\mu}m$) was reacted with 200 mL of 0.25 M HCl solution, the amount of lithium dissolved increased with the increase of reaction time up to 10 hours for both samples. Reaction time longer than 10 hours did not significantly increased the amount of lithium dissolved. After 10 hours of reaction, 89% of lithium in the clay sample from the Kırka deposit was dissolved, while 71% of lithium was dissolved from the Bigadiç deposit tailing sample. 87% of lithium in the clay sample from the Kırka deposit was extracted and 82% of lithium was extracted from the Bigadiç deposit tailing sample by the roasting extraction method, where clays were leached after a thermal treatment at $1,100^{\circ}C$ for 2 hours with $CaCO_3$ and $CaSO_4$.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.47 no.5
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• pp.541-549
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• 2014

The annual borate production in Turkey is about 3 million tons, which occupies approximately 61 percent of total annual world production. Turkey has five boron deposits including Bigadic, Emet, Kestelek, Kirka, and Sultancayir. At present, Bigadic, Emet, and Kirka deposits are operating. Kirka boron deposit is distributed within volcanoclatic sedimentary group as mainly layered, rarely brecciated and massive types. Major borate is borax associated with colemanite and ulexite. They show a horizontal symmetrical zonation from Na borate (borax) in the center of deposit to Na-Ca borate (ulexite) and Ca-borate (colemanite) in margin. Bigadic boron deposit is known as the largest colemanite deposit in the world. This deposit occurs as two borate bearing horizons in Miocene volcanoclastic sedimentary group. Thickness ranges from several meters to 100 meter with a length of several hundreds meters. Borate ore bodies which are mainly composed of colemanite and ulexite are alternated with claystone, mudstone, tuff and layered limestone as lenticular shape. Sultancayir boron deposit is mainly distributed within gray limestone. Main borate minerals of this deposit are pandermite and ulexite. Pandermite and ulexite occur as colloform aggregate and small veinlet, respectively. Turkish boron deposits are evaporite deposit which were formed in Miocene playa-lake environment. Boron was supplied to the deposits by the volcanic and hydrothermal activities.