Evaluation of thermal mud characteristics of Erzurum (Köprüköy) clayey raw materials (NE Turkey)

In Turkey, there are several natural occurrences of clays/muds which are used for therapeutic, aesthetic, and pharmaceutical purposes. The aim of this study was to assess the mineralogical and physicochemical properties of Erzurum clayey raw materials from Koprukoy (Erzurum, NE Turkey) for their therapeutic purposes. Raw material samples were collected from Pliocene geological formation deposited in the lacustrine environment and located Koprukoy (Erzurum) thermal area. The samples of geological formation including some fossil were tested by X-ray powder refraction and diffraction methods to determine the mineralogical and physicochemical properties. The experimental results showed that smectite clay mineral was abundant, as well as kaolinite, illite, zeolite, mica, quartz, calcite, plagioclase, feldspar and non-clay minerals. Physicochemical properties, such as specific surface area, cation exchange capacity and plasticity index were also determined using ammonium acetate, ethylene glycol mono ethylene ether and consistency test methods, respectively. From the physicochemical, chemical and mineralogical properties, all samples have thermal properties, which make them potentially suitable for therapeutic or aesthetic purposes.