Authors : M. Oswaldo Bustamante, Andrés M. Muñoz-Garcia, Martin E. Espitia, Luis F. Duque, C. Valencia-Balvin and S. Perez-Walton
Abstract: In this research, both an experimental and computational study of the mineralogical structures of some kaolin samples are shown. The kaolin samples come from La Union, located in Antioquia, Colombia. The experimental study was carried out by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), X-Ray Difraction (XRD), Mossbauer spectroscopy and colorimetric analysis, so, it was possible to measure an elementary components amount and some morphological characteristics that include cell parameters and atomic positions. In the other hand by ab-inito computational methods it was possible to identify crystallographic characteristics which lead to predict some physical and chemical properties at different conditions. The simulation was performed using VASP Software, taking in account experimental results as starting data. The study of the relationship between physical and chemical properties and the crystallographic structure of kaolin is important in order to understand some phenomena related to hydrometallurgy, state solid physics and computational mineralogy because it leads to improve the yield of clay and non-metallic materials processing which are part of Colombian economy.
M. Oswaldo Bustamante, Andrés M. Muñoz-Garcia, Martin E. Espitia, Luis F. Duque, C. Valencia-Balvin and S. Perez-Walton, 2020. Experimental and Computational Study of the Structure on Selected Species Mineralogical of Kaolins in the Union (Antioquia), Colombia. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 15: 1082-1088.