Chemical Assessment of Bitumen and Associated Tar Sands from Agbabu in Ondo State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Bitumen, Elements, Hydrocarbon, Metasedimentary, Oxides, Tar sandAbstract
Bitumen deposits occur in various parts of the world and in some localities in Nigeria. The bitumen seepages have been used locally for roads but were never exploited on a commercial scale. This study focuses on the determination of the chemical constituents of bitumen samples and the associated tar sands from Agbabu, Ondo state. Ten samples were collected at various locations in Agbabu and its environs and subjected to chemical analysis. The results revealed the ranges of the chemical constituents in the tar sands as follows: SiO2 (54.80 – 56.40%wt), Al2O3 (28.90 – 31.47), Fe2O3 (4.55 – 4.98), MnO (0.07 - 0.08), MgO (4.29 – 4.75), CaO (1.60 – 1.78), Na2O (0.82 - 0.92), K2O (0.85- 0.98) and TiO2 (1.13 - 1.24), all in %wt. The mean compositional values of the trace elements are: Zn (259.2ppm), Cu (28.09ppm), Cr (112.42ppm), Rb (226.20ppm), Ni (29.39ppm), Ba (745.79ppm), Ga (25.25ppm), Ce (17.81ppm) and Sr (226.2ppm). The mean value of elemental composition of the bitumen samples from the study area shows that the percentage weight of carbon(C) is 83.58%, hydrogen (H) is 10.39%, sulphur (S) is 0.52%, nitrogen (N) is 0.89% and oxygen (O) is 2.56%. The chemical analysis results of the tar sand from the study area are averagely consistent as compared to other localities and areas. The results confirmed that the samples analyzed are rich in silica (SiO2) and alumina (Al2O3). The bitumen deposit from the study area will be a good binder for construction industry if appropriately modified. The Agbabu bitumen sample is low in sulphur and this influences its uses as road pavement materials. The concentration level of chromium and nickel in the bitumen samples will pose environmental hazard in the study area. The differences in geological and geographical locations of the deposits are responsible for the heterogenous nature of the sample. Agbabu bitumen ranks amongst the best major bitumen deposits of the world.
How to cite this article: Ayodele CO, Nenuwa OB, Fakolade OR. Chemical Assessment of Bitumen and Associated Tar Sands from Agbabu in Ondo State, Nigeria. J Adv Res Qual Control Mgmt 2017; 2(2): 12-18.
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