Warren H. Anderson
Silica sand, ceramic clay, ball clay, and heavy minerals in Cretaceous and Tertiary sediments in the Jackson Purchase Region in western Kentucky have been examined. Ball clays are mined extensively in the Purchase area, and future studies will examine some of these clays. The initial phase of this project will examine the silica sand potential of the McNairy Formation.
Silica sand is a high-purity sand used in glassmaking for various products such as plate glass, auto glass, dinnerware, and fiber optics. Silica sand has been mined in the McNairy Formation in western Kentucky, and several potential silica sand deposits still exist in the McNairy.
The McNairy sand is a fluvial-deltaic micaceous sandstone that locally contains a high percentage of a pure silica sand. It has been mined in Calloway County. The high percentage of muscovite in the McNairy could also mean an additional by-product for mining operations. In some areas the McNairy is a limonitic/hematitic sandstone containing small amounts of titanium minerals such as rutile and ilmenite. Also, heavy metals make up 2 to 3 percent of the sandstone, locally. Initial field work has been conducted to sample various McNairy locations, and some laboratory and analytical work has been initiated.