Mica in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the industrial non-metallic minerals discovered within the extensive sedimentary formations of the Kingdom.
Geological setting of mica mineral
Mica is a group of complex phyllosilicate or sheet silicate minerals, chemically composed of potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, iron, lithium, and aluminum silicates. It is characterized by its ability to easily split into extremely thin sheets, making it industrially viable for electrical insulation in electronic industries, particularly for valves and capacitors. Additionally, large mica sheets are used in the production of thermal windows.
Discovery of mica mineral in Saudi Arabia
The northwest area of Jabal Raidan, one of the mountains in the Tihama range, located in Bariq Governorate, Aseer Province, southwestern part of the Kingdom, contains mica mineral within sedimentary rock formations. Quartz-feldspar-mica veins intersect with norite rocks, appearing in semi-parallel groups aligned with the host rocks, with an average length of one km.
Mica mineral is also found in small quantities in some pegmatite veins located north of Khamis Mushayt Governorate in Aseer Province, as well as in the southwestern part of Jabal al-Mana, which lies fifty-five km northwest of Abha City in Aseer Province. These mica deposits exhibit insulating properties for heat and electricity.
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