Bentonite clay deposit Ostrozhanskoe

Deposit characteristics

Located 35 km northeast of the town of Lelchitsy, 2.3 km southwest of the village of Ostrozhanka.
Detailed exploration was carried out in 1993-1995.
The composition of the overburden:
The depth of bentonite clay is 15-20 meters, in addition, in the upper part of the overburden at a depth of 4-10 meters there are deposits of ceramic clays, which themselves can be used for the production of ceramic materials.
The deposit is favorably located, characterized by a shallow simple geological structure and can be developed in an open-pit manner.

Reserves of bentonite clays

For categories A + B + C1 - 12.282 million tons, C2 - 10.0 million tons, the reservoir capacity is 10-12 meters

The composition of clays

Montmorillonite
Hydroslude-montmorillonite Kaolinite
Hydrosludes
Quartz
Goethite+hematite
Feldspar
Calcite
Siderite

48,7% - 76,7%
27,5% - 68,0%
1,3% - 6,4%
footprints before 10,4%
106% - 38,6%
in one sample 51,7%
before 5,7 %
before 3,0 %
~1,0

Usage: it is a promising raw material base for molding materials for foundry production, production of coatings in the form of pastes, powders or stabilizing paints, clay powders for drilling fluids and, in the future, for pelletizing iron ore concentrates, refining and purification of oils and petroleum products, as well as as insulation of radioactive waste disposal sites and wastewater treatment. According to the conclusion of the laboratory of domestic enterprises (Lida Foundry and Mechanical Plant, Baranovichi Machine Tool Plant, Gomel plant "Centrolit", Minsk Tractor Plant) bentonite clays of the Ostrozhansky deposit can be used to produce medium-strength molding mixtures, and in activated form high-strength molding mixtures suitable for small and medium cast iron casting.

Note: the Republic of Belarus annually imports up to 20 thousand tons of bentonite clay materials for various purposes. It is imported mainly from Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Russia.