Physico-Chemical Characterization Of Some Nigerian Goethite Mineral Samples

Abstract

The quality of four goethite samples from three geographical locations in Nigeria has been determined. These are Ota-Efun and Oshogbo in the southwest Kontokarifi in the middle belt and Kaduna in the Northern part of Nigeria. The percentage of goethite varies in all the deposits between 63.60 (Kaduna) to 82.81 (Kotonkarifi). The samples were characterized using a combination of Energy Dispersive X-ray fluorescence, optical microscopy and infrared spectroscopy. All samples have low organic content and DCB-extractable Fe₂O₃. The low exchangeable Fe is supportive of structural stability of these goethite samples. Most of the goethite samples, particularly the Kotonkarifi type, are of high purity. Apart from Fe, which is the dominant metal, elements such as K, Ca, Sc, Ti, V and Mn are also present with percentage mass composition ranging between 0.1 and 6 %. The Fe/Mn ratio is of four-fold higher for Kotonkarifi, Osogbo and Kaduna than that of Ota-Efun.


Ife Journal of Science Vol. 7(1) 2005: 131-137