KAOLINS AND SERICITIES OF THE PLAST KAOLIN-BEARING REGION, CHELYABINSK DISTRICT

Abstract

Necessity to increase economic reserves of kaolin in the Russian Federation stimulated us to examine perspectives of the Plast kaolin-bearing region in the southern Urals located 80 km south of Chelyabinsk. This region includes occurrences and differently explored eluvial kaolin deposits, including the largest currently mined Zhuravlinyi Log deposit. The sericite-bearing kaolin and sericitite are considered a potential source of fine-flaky light mica. It is expected that specialized geological exploration will expand mineral resources of kaolin in the Chelyabinsk district and the Ural federal region as a whole.