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CHARACTERIZATION AND GRAVITY CONCENTRATION OF KURUNGU IRON ORE, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA
ABSTRACT
Characterization and concentration of Kurungu Iron ore has been undertaken. Bulk samples were collected from the deposit site located in Kurungu village Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria. The samples were crushed and pulverized and a representative sample obtained by coning and quartering method. Analysis of the representative sample was done using the XRF for composition analysis, XRD and SEM for the mineralogical analysis and the modified Berry and Bruce method was used to determine the work index of the ore. The XRF reveals that the ore contains 60.86% Fe2O3, 0.49% MnO, 0.10% CaO, 36.2% SiO2, 0.04% CuO, 0.10% ZnO, 0.02%, Rb2O,
0.36% In2O3, 0.1% Sb2O3, 0.24% La2O3, 0.57% Eu2O3 and 0.03% Re2O7. Mineralogical analysis by XRD revealed that the iron bearing mineral is Magnetite while Actinolite and Quartz are present as associated minerals. The liberation size was established to be 355+250 µm; having the highest grade value of 65.09%Fe2O3. The density of the ore was found to be 3.81 x 103kg/m3. The SEM images show that the minerals were locked together in layers and the work index of 13.96kWh/t was obtained. Beneficiation of the ore using gravity concentration indicated that the iron of the ore can be upgraded from 44.15% to 55.4% Fe with a recovery of 77.80%. Based on the results, Kurungu iron ore can be seen as another potential deposit that can be explored and exploited for use in iron and steel production.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page
TITLE PAGE i
DECLARATION ii
CERTIFICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iv
DEDICATION v
ABSTRACT vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS vii
LIST OF TABLES x
LIST OF FIGURES xi
LIST OF PLATES xii
LIST OF APPENDICES xiii
ABBREVIATION, DEFINITIONS, GLOSSARY AND SYMBOLS xiv
CHAPTER ONE 1
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Background 1
1.2 Statement of Problems of the Research 2
1.3 Justifications of the Research 3
1.4 Aim and Objectives 3
1.5 Scope of the Study 4
CHAPTER TWO 5
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW 5
2.1 Introduction 5
2.2 Ore Mineral Characterization 5
2.3 Iron Ore 7
2.4 World Iron Ore Deposit 8
2.5 Nigerian Iron Ore Deposits 10
2.6 Types of Iron ore 12
2.7 Gangue Minerals 14
2.8 Deleterious Elements 14
2.9 Sampling 15
2.10 Iron Ore Characterization Methods 16
2.10.1 X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) 17
2.10.2 X-ray diffraction (XRD) 18
2.10.3 Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) 19
2.11 Determination of physical properties 20
2.12 Mineral Processing 20
2.12.1 Comminution processes 21
2.12.2 Grindability 23
2.12.3 Determination of the work index of the ore 23
2.12.4 Size/assay analysis 25
2.12.5 Liberation studies 26
2.13 Iron Ore Beneficiation Processes 27
2.13.1 Gravity Concentration Process 27
2.13.2 Magnetic separation 29
2.13.3 Electrostatic separation. 29
2.13.4 Froth Flotation 29
2.14 Previous Studies on some Nigerian Iron Ore Deposits 31
2.15 Kurugu Iron Ore Deposit 35
CHAPTER THREE 36
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHODS 36
3.1 Materials and Equipment Required 36
3.2 Methodology 37
3.2.1 Ore Sample Collection 37
3.2.2 Sample Preparation 38
3.2.3 Chemical composition analysis of the iron ore
sample 38
3.2.4 Mineralogical analyses of the iron ore sample 38
3.2.5 Determination of the physical properties of the
iron ore sample 39
3.2.6 Particle size / mineral assay analyses of the iron ore
sample 41
3.2.7 Liberation size analysis 41
3.2.8 Work index determination 41
3.2.9 Concentration Criteria. 42
3.2.10 Gravity concentration 43
CHAPTER FOUR 44
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 44
4.1 Chemical Analysis of Kurungu Iron Ore head Sample 44
4.2 Mineralogical Analysis of Kurungu Iron Ore 45
4.3 Petrological Analysis 50
4.4 Physical Properties of Kurungu Iron Ore. 52
4.4.1 Specific gravity 52
4.4.2 Density 52
4.4.3 Electrical conductivity. 52
4.5 Particle Size Analysis 54
4.6 Determination of the Liberation Size of Kurungu Iron Ore. 54
4.7 Determination of Work Index 56
4.8 Result of Gravity Concentration Test on Kurungu Iron Ore 60
CHAPTER FIVE 62
5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 62
5.1 Conclusion 62
5.2 Recommendations 63
5.3 Contribution to Knowledge 64
REFERENCES 65
APPENDIX I 69
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The enormous growth of industrialization from the eighteenth century onward has led to the dramatic increase in the annual output of most mineral commodities, particularly metals. The forms in which metals are found in the crust of the earth and as sea-bed deposits depend on their reactivity with their environment, particularly with Oxygen, Sulphur, and Carbondioxide. Most ores are mixtures of extractable minerals and extraneous rocky material described as gangue. They are frequently classed according to the nature of the valuable mineral (Barry et al, 2016).
Nigeria as a nation is blessed with abundant solid mineral resources distributed in most of the states of the federation. According to reports by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency, Nigeria has some thirty four known major mineral deposits distributed in locations across the country and offers considerable attraction for investors. There is at present an upsurge of interest in the development of solid mineral resources whose production in the last 30 years has been declining in every case. The privatization, commercialization and general reform exercises currently being undertaken by the government of Nigeria under the Ministry of solid minerals Development are expected to lead to an upsurge in the exploration and development of Nigeria’s solid mineral resources(Obaje, 2009).
Three types of metamorphosed iron oxide rich layered metasediments are found in the North West and central parts of the Nigerian basement. The most important economically are those occurring within the Okene migmatite complex in southcentral
Nigeria. Nigeria has the potentials of becoming a regional economic hub in the West African sub-region, but it has been recognized that the growth of Nigeria is slow due to lack of domestic production of iron and steel among others (Elijah, 2003).
Iron and Manganese are two essential ingredients for the production of steel, but Iron is the major component; usually over 90 percent (Ahmad et al, 2017).At present there is no satisfactory substitute for steel even in modern industrialized societies, the supply of iron will therefore remain an important component to industrial development in the twenty-first century. While the developed countries are able to exploit their mineral resources efficiently, the developing countries are faced with inadequate capital and a lack of required technology, such that their dependency on the developed countries is inevitable (Bamalli et al, 2011).
Nigeria is blessed with large reserves of proven and unproven iron ore deposits, only one of the deposits in the proven reserves is currently being exploited and processed for possible use that is the Itakpe iron ore deposit;the deposit has an estimated reserve of about 200 million metric tonnes (Bamalli et al 2011; Elijah, 2013). However, this deposit, based on the design requirement of the Ajaokuta and Aladja plant, will only last for 25 years. This is grossly inadequate for the establishment of a formidable foundation for a well- projected integrated iron and steel plants. Also the Agbaja iron ore deposit, even though the largest iron ore deposit in Nigeria has a very high phosphorous content in addition to its extremely fine grained texture (Alexander et al, 2015).
1.2Statement of Problems of the Research
Most of the minerals found in Nigeria still remain unexploited due to inadequate knowledge on their status, economic viability and requisite mining technologies which has resulted to low investment in the minerals and mining sectorand currently, there is no available information or data on the characterization and possible beneficiation route of Kurungu iron ore deposit.
1.3 Justifications of the Research
Nigeria is blessed with abundant mineral resources and for obvious economic and strategic reasons, there is need to locally develop sustainable sources of raw materials for iron and steel production. Kurungu iron ore deposit covers a land mass area of about 320,000m2.It has an estimated reserve of over 50 million tonnes (Preliminary estimation). This research therefore, makes a case on the ore for the following reasons;
- Proper characterization of the deposit will help in exploration and encourage local and foreign investment
- The deposit can be an additional source of iron ore to complement the existing ones
- Creation of job opportunities for the native and
- Increase of government revenue in the areawhich will in turn encourage the government to provide infrastructural facilities.
1.4 Aim and Objectives
The study is aimed at characterizing and beneficiating Kurungu iron ore deposit located in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State, Nigeria.
The objectives are to;
- determinethe chemical, mineralogical and petrological composition of the ore using XRF, XRD, SEM/EDS and optical microscope.
- examinesome physical properties such as the density, specific gravity and the electrical conductivities of the ore.
- determine the mineral assay and the liberation size analyses of the ore sample.
- determine the work index of the ore sample.
- beneficiate the ore sample using gravity method.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research work involves collecting the sample form the deposit site and characterizing it to know its chemical and mineralogical properties and then determine the liberation size and beneficiating using gravity method.
CHARACTERIZATION AND GRAVITY CONCENTRATION OF KURUNGU IRON ORE, KOGI STATE, NIGERIA
