Comparison of Raman Spectra in Characterising Gibbsites, Bayerite, Diaspore and Boehmite

Gibbsite and bayerite are alumina trihydrate (Al(OH) 3). Gibbsite occurs abundantly in nature, usually as a major mineral component in bauxite whereas bayerite is rarely found in nature. Boehmite and diaspore are alumina oxohydroxide (AlOOH) and are two other important minerals in bauxite. The Raman spectra of these four minerals were obtained using a Fourier transform Raman spectrometer operating at 1064 nm. Bayerite spectrum shows five absorption bands, 3652, 3542, 3449, 3438, and 3421 cm-1 and the gibbsite spectrum shows four strong and sharp absorption bands, 3619, 3523, 3433 and 3363 cm-1 in the hydroxyl stretching region. Four broad bands, 3426, 3365, 3229 and 2935 cm-1 and three weak bands, 3420, 3216 and 3090 cm-1 are present in this region for diaspore and boehmite, respectively. The Raman bands correspond well with the infrared absorption bands at 3620, 3525 cm-1 for gibbsite, 3365 cm-1 for diaspore and 3423, 3096 cm-1 for boehmite and these bands are assigned to be Raman and infrared active. The spectra of bayerite, gibbsite and diaspore are complex while the spectrum of boehmite only illustrates four absorption bands in the low frequency region. Common bands of RT-Raman spectra at 1019, 892, 816, 710, 568, 539, 506, 429, 395, 379, 321, 306, 255 and 242 cm-1 were observed for gibbsite, 1079, 1068, 898, 866, 545, 434, 388, 322, 292, 250 and 239 cm-1 for bayerite, 705, 608, 446, 260 and 216 cm-1 for diaspore, and 674, 495 and 360 cm-1 for boehmite. The differences in the vibrational spectra of bayerite, gibbsite, diaspore and boehmite are interpreted as being due to the differences in the molecular structure of these minerals.