CHARACTERISTICS OF DOLOMITE FROM SWABI, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA FOR ITS USE AS A RAW MATERIAL IN FERTILIZER PRODUCTION

Abstract

The potential of dolomite CaMg(CO3)2 from the Swabi district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a raw material in fertilizer production was investigated in this paper. Dolomite was found as a major mineral phase when investigated via X-ray diffractometer (XRD). This was fully supported by Xray fluorescence (XRF) results. TGA analysis indicated that the dolomite phase decomposes at about 774oC when it treated with heat. Temperature usually plays a significant role in producing MgO and CaO from dolomite. The magnesium oxide produced during the decomposition process can be allowed to react with nitric acid to produce magnesium nitrite, which is a type of fertilizer that is widely used in agriculture. Because of the high content of the magnesium in local dolomite, it can be used as raw materials in fertilizer production.