A brief petrographic study of graphite ore from the Moyale area, southern Ethiopia

Abstract

This report describes the petrography of the graphite ore from the Moyale graphite deposit in southern Ethiopia. The method for the image-processing of thin sections is described. Eight thin sections were available and the average values of the following parameters are: Area percent graphite = 7.9 % Size of graphite grains = 0.0361 mm\u00B2 (range 1.383-0.004 mm\u00B2) Length of longest axis of graphite grains = 0.407 mm (range 3.83-0.08 mm) Length of shortest axis of graphite grains = 0.155 mm (range 1.93-0.02mm) This values must be regarded as maximum values and it is suggested that these measurements should be repeated with a larger number of thin sections before any benefication tests of the graphite ore performed.