Determination of Chemical, Mineralogical Composition And Liberation Size of Madaka Manganese ore, Niger State, Nigeria
Keywords:
Manganese, liberation size, Assay, Characterization and Sieve analysisAbstract
This work investigated the chemical, mineralogical and liberation size of Madaka manganese ore prior to
beneficiation process. The samples were sourced from two pits (1 and 2) with the following co-ordinates;
Pit A: N 10o 03’ 03.0”, E 06o 27’ 50.5”; Pit B: N: 10o 03’ 03.0”, E: 06 27’ 55.5) in Madaka village, Rafi Local
Government Area of Niger State. The samples were comminuted and sieved using laboratory jaw crusher,
pulverizer and mechanical sieve shaker. The chemical compositions, mineralogical and Scanning Electron
Microscopy (SEM) of the head samples were determined using X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF), X-ray
diffractometer (XRD) Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). Sieve size
and assay analysis of the ore was carried out on the basis of ?2 sieve arrangement and the sieves were
vibrated for 15 minutes. The products sieves were analyzed for their manganese contents using XRF. Result
showed the chemical analysis of the representative crude sample to contain the following; 3.10, 2.37, 12.32,
0.64, 0.17, 48.44, 0.07, 0.04, 1.86, 0.08 weight percentages of SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, MnO, Cr2O3,
Na2O, K2O, SO3 respectively. Peaks were identified in XRD analysis of the crude sample as that of magnosite
(MnO), hausmannite (Mn3O4), spessartine and vemuculite (Mg,Fe2+,Fe3+)3[(AlSiO4)O10](OH)2.4H2O. The EDS
shows Mn, Ca, Fe, K, As, Al, Si and Ba are the predominant elements while others are minor elements. The
sieve size/assay analysis revealed that the liberation size of the ore was -250 +180 ?m. The ore can then
be classified as a medium grade manganese ore that must be beneficiated before utilization.
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