COMPOSITIONAL CHARACTERIZATION AND INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION OF KUTIGI CLAY OCCURRENCE, CENTRAL BIDA BASIN, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study investigated the physical, mineralogical and geochemical properties of Kutigi clay deposit in the central Bida Basin of Nigeria. The previous studies on the clay deposit have focused solely on estimating its reserves and on the mineralogical and geochemical properties. Attention was not given to identifying its potential industrial usage with respect to its physical properties. The result from field study shows the stratigraphy position of the clay deposit to be a bed within the Enagi Formation and occurs as irregular lenticular structures within the sandstones, siltstones and ironstones. Results of physical test analysis indicate a liquid limit, plastic limit and the plasticity index values of the clays range from 16.20 to 32.25 %, 9.00 to 27.00 % and 2.28 to 10.56 % respectively. This implies that the clays are generally of low to medium compressibility, low swelling and low to medium plasticity. The low shrinkage values shrinkage values of 3.76 %, 3.99 %, 4.78 %, 5.05 %, 4.28 %, 5.79 %, 6.6%, and 6 % respectively suggest that the clay is a suitable raw material for the ceramics industries. Mineralogical analysis reveals kaolinite as the dominant clay mineral and quartz as the dominant non-clay mineral. Geochemical analysis shows significant amounts of SiO2, (50.02 wt %), and Al2O3, (35.70%), while the other oxides Fe2O3, Na2O, TiO2, CaO, MgO and P2O5 are significantly low. The Kaolinite content of (32.52 wt %) is much lower than the amount (93 - 99 wt %) required for paper coating, thereby making the clay deposit unsuitable for this purpose. The comparison of the mineralogy and chemical composition of the study clay with the specifications of paper, ceramics, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industrial shows that they are not suitable unless with beneficiation.