Exploration and characterization of local raw bentonite of a part of Garmiyan-Kurdistan/Iraq

Samples from Garmiyan located in Kurdistan region of Iraq were collected and investigated concerning their physical, chemical, and mineralogical properties. Eight samples from five different locations have been taken based on the experience of villagers who used these materials for bathing to soften their hair as an alternative to shampoo. Some of these materials are locally termed "Gllasar", meaning "head mud". The samples were analyzed by XRD, XRF, FTIR, STA, CEC, and concerning their C- and S-content. The results show that some of the materials can be classified as bentonites because they are predominantly composed of smectite with minor contents of carbonates, quartz, dolomite, kaolinite, plagioclase, chlorite, and feldspar. Three out of the eight samples showed smectite contents higher than 60 mass% and hence can be considered promising raw materials. Future work will be devoted to investigation of reserves in the deposit and application tests.