Iron–phosphorus relationship in the iron and phosphorite ores of Egypt

Abstract

Iron and phosphorite ores are very common in the geological record of Egypt and exploitable for economic purposes. In some cases these deposits belong together to the same geographic and geologic setting. The most common deposits include phosphorites, glauconites, and iron ores. Phosphorites are widely distributed as a belt in the central and southern part of Egypt. Sedimentary iron ores include oolitic ironstone of Aswan area and karstified iron ore of Bahria Oasis. Glauconites occur in the Western Desert associated with phosphorites and iron ores. As these ores are exploitable and phosphorus in iron ores and iron in phosphorites are considered as gangue elements, the iron–phosphorus relationship is examined in these deposits to clarify their modes of occurrences and genetic relationship based on previously published results. Phosphorus occurs mainly as carbonate fluorapatite (francolite). Iron, on the other hand, occurs in different mineralogical forms such as glauconites, hematite, limonite and goethite. In P-rich rocks (phosphorites) no relationship is observed between iron and phosphorus, which in turn indicates that the FeP model is unlikely to interpret the origin of the late Cretaceous phosphorites and the association of phosphorites and glauconites in Egypt. In Fe-rich rocks (iron ores and glauconites) also no relationship between iron and phosphorus is observed. The present work, therefore, does not support the hypothesis that there is a genetic relationship between phosphorus and iron in sedimentary rocks.