Characterization of Mineral Ores from Northern and Northwest Pakistan

Pakistan is home to many varieties of minerals, some of which make it prominent in the mineral world. The exploration of Pakistan’s mineral wealth is far from complete and has rarely been conducted in the north and northwest of the country. This article presents the newest exploration and examination of minerals from an unexploited area in Pakistan. Several materials characterization techniques were carried out to examine and identify the phase and structure of the minerals, including x-ray diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In this study, several commonly found minerals are identified, including calcite, dolomite, quartz, talc, and fluorapatite.