CHARACTERIZATION OF AZARA COPPER ORE DEPOSIT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA

CHARACTERIZATION OF AZARA COPPER ORE DEPOSIT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA, A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

Abstract

The characterization of Azara copper ore was carried out. The samples were collected from three different locations in Azara, Awe Local Government Area, Nasarawa State, Nigeria. The physical observation shows that the ore has metallic lustre, dark bronze with greenish stripe and irregular or uneven breakages. The results obtained from physical analysis of the ore reveals that it has hardness of 3.5 on Moh’s hardness scale, the specific gravity of 4.40 and electrical conductivity of8.096 × 10⁻⁷Ω^−1 −1. The XRF analysis of the sample reveals that the ore contains18.07% Fe, 3.30% Cu, 0.78% Pb, 0.48% Mn, 1.43% Ca, 0.66%Sn, 0.03%Sr, 0.11%Zn, 0.03%Zr, 0.34%Ti, 0.02%Nb, 0.03%Sb, 0.03%Ag, 0.07%As, 19.62%Si and 1.66%S. The mineralogical analysis of copper ore using XRD reveals that the ore containsanatase, zincite, chalcopyrite, hopeite, hematite, goethite, calcite, tenrite and pyrite. The result of SEM/EDS analysis reveals that the copper bearing minerals are separated from other minerals in the ore by smooth grains boundaries and are not locked with other minerals, hence, making it easy to free the copper from other associated minerals by comminution. The particle size sieves analyses reveals that the assays of the copper mineral are as follows:1.85% Cu in – 355 + 250 , 0.43% Cu in– 250 + 180 , 2.35% Cu in – 180 + 125 , 1.9% Cu in – 125 + 90 , 6.53% Cuin – 90 + 50and 6.73% Cuin – 50 .The liberation size of the ore was found to be below50 and the work Index of the ore was determined using the modified Bond method (Barry and Bruce method) and found to be 12.989kWh/tonne and classified as type B ore with soft medium texture using the Mathurgrindability chart. Hence the Azara copper ore could be seen as another potential source of copper mineral that can be beneficiated and utilized for the production of copper metal and alloys for the nation metallurgical industry.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0.    INTRODUCTION

1.1. Preamble

In view of the desire of Nigeria to become one of the twenty leading economies in the world, there is a need to diversify the economic base of the nation. The mineral sector has the capacity to increase the fortune and create more jobs, thereby, enhancing industrial growth. It has been established that Nigeria is endowed with mineral resources; both metallic and non-metallic. However, the nature of these mineral types in a deposit ought to be established in order to facilitate the downstream concentration processes and production of high grade concentrate for extraction and utilization in metallurgical industries. These processes are no doubt relative to the nature of the composition, for example copper’s existence as chalcopyrite (CuFeS₂), chalcocite (Cu₂S), covellite (CuS), malachite (CuCO₃.Cu(OH)₂), cuprite (Cu₂O), etc. is a typical case (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2014).

CHARACTERIZATION OF AZARA COPPER ORE DEPOSIT, NASARAWA STATE, NIGERIA, A RESEARCH PROJECT TOPIC ON MECHANICAL ENGINEERING