Physico-Chemical and Mineralogical Characterization of Barite-Bearing Ores from Selected Locations in Nigeria

Authors: Fadayini O, Amenaghawon NA, Aluyor EO

DOI Info: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6722193

ABSTRACT

Nigeria is naturally endowed with solid mineral reserves and must do everything necessary to harness and maximize these resources and unlock their potential. Hence, the research on Nigerian barites was examined in this study. Barite-bearing ores were sourced from Azare (Bauchi State), Obi (Nasarawa State), and Obubra (Cross River State) in Nigeria and characterized to determine their properties. The physico-chemical characteristics revealed specific gravity of 4.02, 4.14, and 3.95, moisture content of 0.94%, 0.68%, and 0.57%, density of 4.60 g/cm³, 4.82 g/cm³, and 5.32 g/cm³, bulk density of 2.45 g/cm³, 2.49 g/cm³, and 2.38 g/cm³, and water absorption capacity of 4.79%, 4.96%, and 2.85% respectively. For the barite samples, highly crystalline peaks with barite compositions of 98.93%, 92.26%, and 92.50% respectively were revealed using X-ray diffractometry (XRD). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis revealed BaSO₄ as the primary component with minor gangue impurities while scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analysis offered quantitative information on the morphology and surface characteristics present. This research has shown that Azare barite is suitable for high purity applications such as those found in the pharmaceutical industry, whereas Obi and Obubra barite ores must be beneficiated to be suitable for potential applications such as drilling mud formulation, glass production, filler, or extender in paint and rubber manufacturing, according to the standards specified by the American petroleum institute (API), the Oil Company Mineral Association (OCMA), and the Indian standard (IS).

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