EVALUATION THE USE OF IRAQI PORCELANITEROCKS AS LOOSE ABRASIVE POWDERS

Abstract

Applied study was carried out on the Iraqi porcelanite rocks to determine their
capability and uses as a loose abrasive powder to abrade copper and aluminium,
being soft metals and commonly used in different industrial purpose. Three different
samples of porcelanite were selected from three different places in the Iraqi western
desert, and which were as follows: Safra member sample (Late Cretaceous),
Traifawi member sample (Early Paleocene)- Akashat location and Traifawi member
sample (Early Paleocene)- H3 location. Chemical, mineralogical analyses and
microscopic studies were carried out on those samples. The three samples were
ground at different time intervals. Discoidal samples of copper and aluminium
metals were polished by using specimens of powdered porcelanite samples of
different grains size ranging between (75-250) μm and (36-63) μm. The metal
samples then buffed using two grains size as (20-36)μm and < 20 μm respectively.
Evalution tests including surface roughness test (Ra) and Reflectivity test (R%) were
carried out on copper and aluminium samples. The results showed that Iraqi
porcelanite samples were good enough for abrading those two metals.