ASSESSMENT OF KAOLIN DEPOSITS IN OGBADIBO AND OTUKPO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS OF BENUE STATE USING NUCLEAR ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUE AND THEIR POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS IN INDUSTRY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33003/fjs-2026-1005-4913Keywords:
Aluminosilicate, Assessment, Lower Benue Trough, Feldspars, Kaolinite, Quartz, StratigraphyAbstract
An assessment of the kaolin deposits in Ogbadibo and Otukpo Local Government Areas of Benue State, Nigeria, was carried out using X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometry–Fundamental Parameter (XRF-FP). This was to determine the elemental compositions and physicochemical characteristics and geological formation differences as well as their industrial suitability. Kaolin is versatile industrial clay which has found important applications in paper coating, ceramics, paints and plastics due to its high opacity, soft texture, and chemical inertness. Thus, knowledge of their composition as well as the purity and impurity concentrations would be of economic advantage to local industries which oftentimes import their raw materials. In addition, it will increase the economic base of the state. In this work four (4) kaolin samples were collected, oven-dried at 105°C, pulverized, homogenised, and pelletized with 15% boric acid binder and analysed at the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency (NSRMEA), Kaduna. The results obtained revealed that silicon oxide (SiO₂) and aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃) were the dominant oxides in both locations, confirming kaolinite (Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄) as the major mineral phase.
References
Adewuyi, O. I. (2015). Analysis of kaolin deposit in Nigeria, Academic Research Work, afribary .com
Ajanaku, K. O., Olanrewaju A., and Swapan, K. D. (2016) Oriental Journal of Chemistry. 32 (3) 1571 -1582
Ali. H and Kasham, V. A. (2016). X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (XRY) of Kaolin in the South Eastern Nigeria, Journal of Basic and Applied Research ISSN 2413-7014, vol. 2, 160-165.
Aliu, Okpo Jeminatu, Itiowe, Kiamuke and Avwenagha, Enivwenayi Oghenero (2021). Geochemical Composition, Mineralogy, Geotechnical Characteristics of Some Clay Deposits. Global Journal of Geological Sciences vol. 2021, 41-51
Baker, C. J. and Uren, R.E. (1982). Kaolin in New South Wales, Geological Survey of New South Wales 231
Balan E; Allard T; Bolzot B; Morin G; Muller J. P. (1999) Structural characterization of kaolinite and illite by Raman Spectroscopy. Clays and clay minerals (47)5, 605-613, https://doi.org/10.1346/CCMN.1999.0470512
Bassey, C. E., Ukaegbu, V. U., and Akpan, A. E. (2013) Geology and Occurrence of industrial minerals in the Lower Benue Trough, Nigeria. Journal of Geology and Mining Research, 5(3), 47-53. https://doi.org/10.5897/JGMR12.018
Benjamin, Odey Omang, Ayodele Owolabi, Ebenezer Agayina Kudamnya, Joseph O. Odey (2019) Characterization of Kaolin Deposits in Okpella and Its Environs, Southern Nigeria. International Journal of Geosciences 10, 312-327
Bernard J. H., Rost R, (1992) Encyclopaedic knowledge of clay Science 13(4), 293-306
Brindley, G. W., and Nakahira, M. (1959). The Kaolinite-Metakaolinite Transformation. Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 42(7), 314-318. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1959.tb 13577
Churchman, G.J, Whitton J. S, Claridge G. C. C, Theng BKG (1984), Intercalation method using formamide for differentiating halloysite from kaolinite: Clays and clay minerals, v. 32, p. 241-248
Clack, M. D. T (2013) Paints and Pigments Review
http://www.nzic.org.nzchemprocess/polymer/10D.pdf
Devidal, J, Dandurand, J and Gout, R (1996). Gibbs free energy of Czech Silikatovy Svaz, Praha, 443 pp.ed, John Willey and sons, Inc, New York, 681 pp
Ekosse, G. (2010). The origin, geochemistry and mineralogy of kaolinte clays of Camerroon, Nigeria and South Africa. Clay Minerals, 45(2), 111-127. https:doi.org/10.1180/claymin.2010.045.1.111
Ekpunobi, U. E., Duru, C. B., Ogbuagu, A. S. and Obumsel, E. O. (2013) Analysis and Characterization of clay deposits in Idemili River, South Eastern Nigeria, Pelagia Research Library, Der Chemica Sinica, 4, 6-9.
Frost, R. L (1998), Hydroxyl deformation in kaolin, Clays and Clay Minerals. Cambridge University Press 46 (3) 280-289
Grim, R. E. (1968), Clay Mineralogy (2nd ed.), McGraw--Hill.
Guggenheim, S. and Martin, R. T. (1995) Definition of Clay and Clay Mineral: Joint report of AIPEA Nomenclature Committees, Clays Clay Miner 43: 255-256 DOI: 1346/CCMN.1995.0430213
Ike, C. D., William, G., Igboko, N., Kenneth, O., Birol, O. and Mohammed, M. R., (2021) Faisal Islam Chowd, Journal of Applied Science and Process Engineering Volume 8 Number 2.
Inegbenebor, A. I., Inegbenebor, A. O., Mordi, R. C., Kalada, N., Falomo, A. and Sanyaolu, P (2016) Determination of the Chemical Compositions of Clay Deposits from Some Part of south West Nigeria for Industrial Application. International Journal of Applied Science and Biotechnology, Volume 4 (1): 21-26.
Mitchell, J. K. (1993), Fundamental of Soil Behaviour 2nd ed. Wiley, New York.
Moore, D. M and Reynolds, R. C., (1997), X-ray Diffraction and Identification and Analysis of Clay Minerals. 2nd Edition, Oxford. (Oxford University Press, New York), 378 P.
Mpuchane S., G., Ekosse, B., Gashes, I., Morobe and Coetzee S. (2008) Mineralogy of Southern African Medicinal and Cosmetic Clays and their Effects on the Growth of Selected test microorganism. Fresen Environ. Bull. 15:547-557.
Murray, H. H. (2007) Applied clay mineralogy, occurrences, processing, and application of kaolins, bentonites, palygorskite-sepiolite, and common clays, developments in clay science, 2, 1-177.
Obada, D. O., Oke, S. A., and Oyetunji, A. (2015) Characterization and Evaluation of Selected Kaolin Clays in the Lower Benue Trough, Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Technology, 34(2), 360-365.
Obaje, N. G (2009) Geology and mineral resources of Nigeria. Springer. https:doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-92685-6
Oboh, I. O., and Ighalo, J. O. (2020) A Comprehensive Review of the Applications of Kaolin as a Green and Sustainable Adsorbent, Journal of Cleaner Production, 275, 123367 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123367
Olusola, J. O., Suraju, A. A. and Nurudeen, A., (2024), Geochemical and Mineralogical Studies of Kaolinitic Clays in Parts of Ilorin, Southwestern Basement Rock Area, Nigeria. University Journal of Geosciences 2 (7): 212-221.
Reyment, R. A. (1965). Aspects of the geology of Nigeria: The stratigraphy of the cretaceous and Cenozoic deposits Ibadan University Press.
Skoog, D. A., Holler, F. J., and Crouch, S. R. (2018). Principles of Instrumental Analysis (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.
Spark, K. M., Johnson, B. B., Wells, J. D (1995) Characterizing trace mental adsorption on oxides oxyhydroxides, European Journal of Soil Science. Volume 46, Issue 4, P. 621-631
Suraj G., Iyer, C. S. P., Rugmini, S., Lalithambika, M., (1998). Adsorption Structure at 1.5 k, Clays and Clay Mineral 41, 738-744
Umar, I. M., Bamidele, R. A. and Olasunkanmi, A. O. (2019). Industrial potential of kaolin selected deposits in Nigeria. International Journal and Engineering Research, 10(5), 456-465.
Willard, H. H., Merritt, L. L., Dean, J. A., and Settle, F. A. (1988). Instrumental methods of analysis (7th ed.) Wadsworth Publishing.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
Categories
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Ojegburu Shadrach Obonyilo, Matthew Nnamdi Agu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
