Analysis and evaluation of prospects for high-quality quartz resources in the North Caucasus

Abstract

Quartz resources play a crucial role in the development of key economic sectors, particularly in the production of chemically pure silicon. The extraction and processing of these resources necessitate high-tech methods to obtain the desired silicon output. Presently, the demand for silicon stands at 5–6 Ktpa, while the supply remains at 2300 t. An analysis of the chemical properties of various rocks (quartzites, quartz sands, vein quartz) in the Republic of North Ossetia–Alania reveals that their parametric characteristics align with the requirements for silicon production. The researchers in North Ossetia have successfully grown singlecrystal silicon and produced photovoltaic converters. Russian scientists have also achieved the first melting of metallurgical silicon into polycrystalline silicon using vacuum furnaces and electron-beam remelting, yielding promising results. The goal of this research is to analyze and assess the potential of high-quality quartz resources in the North Caucasus. The main objectives include identifying sites with optimal quartz deposits suitable for silicon production, conducting localization, estimating forecast resources, and designating areas for further investigation. The selected sites are expected to possess advantageous geographical and economic features, along with favorable mining conditions conducive to open-pit mining.The study focuses on the Fiagdon site in the Alagir District, RNO-Alania. Various methods, including laboratory work, sampling, examination of constructed sections, and a comprehensive review of mine workings and borehole documentation, were employed. Conclusions from mineralogical and petrographic analyses, alongside laboratory studies and process tests, contributed to the research methodology. The results of the research encompassed the analysis of statistical, economic, geological, and process-related information necessary for addressing primary geological objectives. Subsequent steps involved the selection of prospects for further exploration, specification of geological maps at a 1:10000 scale with accompanying legends and sections, determination of the conditions, morphology, and parameters of productive deposits, and preliminary studies on the quality and process characteristics of quartz resources. Furthermore, the P2 forecast resources of high-quality quartz raw materials for silicon production were localized, estimated at 500 Kt, and rigorously tested. The study’s discoveries have led to the formulation of recommendations for future exploration endeavors.