CALCAREOUS ROCKS

Carbonates are the mineral compounds of carbon and oxygen, and are
widespread in the earth's crust, although the number of known species is
not very high (about 100).
Of these the most abundant are the alkaline earth and alkali metal iron.
They are known and exploit large deposits of calcite, magnesite, siderite and
dolomite.
COMPOSITION AND PROPERTIES OF CALCAREOUS ROCKS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF CALCITE AND DOLOMITE
Compound
s
CaO
Calcite
CaCO3
CO
CaO
CaMg(CO
Dolomite
MgO
3 )2
CO
Mineral

Formule

Percentage
(%)
56.2
43.8
30.4
21.7
47.9

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF LIMESTONE

Compound
%
s
CaCO3
97.8
MgCO3
1.25
Fe2O3
0.095
SiO2
0.56
Al2O3
0.23
Ni
< 0.002
Cr2O3
< 0.001
SrO
0.03
MnO
< 0.01
ORIGIN AND GEOLOGIC FEATURES
The limestones have been deposited over geologic time from the
Precambrian to recent, even though many of them have suffered postdepositional changes, which have modified the original sediments. The
limestones are sedimentary rocks, this is as sediments have been deposited
on the ground or creeks, lakes and oceans.
In dolomite rock, the carbonate fraction contains 90 percent or more of the
mineral dolomite, which represents a little more than 50% of the rock.
Dolomite generally have better uniformity of grain limestones.

The surface and karstic structure is common feature of many calcareous

rocks, especially in areas don rain water and / or runoff has caused the
reactivity of the reactive parts.

Marble is a metamorphic rock composed dominantly carbonate calcite or

dolomite or both, with impurities such as quartz, graphite, tremolite,
wollastonite and other silicate minerals. The marbles are produced by
recrystallization of limestone and sedimentary dolomites at elevated
temperatures and pressures.
CARBONATE ROCKS IN PERU
Limestones
Atocongo and Chilca Formations.
Cajamarca Formation.
Condorsinga Formation.
Ayabaca Formation.
Santa limestones for Chimbote.
Simbal limestones for Trujillo.
INDUSTRIAL USES
Flux stone: calcite, dolomite and lime are used in the smelting of iron and
other metals for the basic supply of CaO and MgO, which are combined with
the undesirable acid constituents contained in the minerals and fuels to
form a removable slag of molten metal.
Agricultural limestone Calcium and magnesium are considered necessary for
the overall soil fertility and plant nutrition.
The amount of these elements extracted from the soil in harvested crops
each year makes tillage operation constitutes a sufficient surface mining.
The paper industry uses both lime and limestone in the process of preparing
cooked liquor, where the chemical reaction between sulfur dioxide and lime
occurs.
POTENTIAL OFFER OF CALCAREOUS ROCKS IN PER BY REGIONS IN
1999 AND 2002

STRUCTURE OF LIMESTONE PRODUCTION BY REGION IN 2006

PERUVIAN LIMESTONE PRODUCTION BY REGION