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ABSTRACT
Geochemical and mineralogical determination of clay deposits with integrated sedimentological characterization of their physical properties are fundamental in bridging the knowledge gap and raw material feed for industrial processes and applications. In this study, I investigated clays at locations with relatively little or no investigations carried out to discover the untapped mineral deposits. The clay deposits situated at Iguoriakhi, Ofunmwengbe and environs were investigated using several analytical techniques; X Ray Diffractometry (XRD), X Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF), Hydrometer Method, Wet Sieving Analysis and other geotechnical techniques. The average abundance of minerals in the samples derived from the XRD Peaks indicates that Clay minerals present include; Kaolinite, ranges between (19.52% - 22.33%) and (24.24% - 28.60%), Montmorillonite (10.49% and 4.6%), Illite (5.24% and 4.07%) and associated non clay minerals include; Mica (5.50% - 7.02%) and (4.88% - 6.03%), Feldspar (6.02% - 6.53%) and (3.03% - 3.50%), quartz (49.77% - 52.80%) and (54.11.0% - 55.99%) for Iguoriakhi and Ofunmwengbe samples respectively. Geochemical signatures Al2O3/TiO2 ratio for clastic rocks used to determine origin indicates that the Al2O3/TiO2 for Iguoriakhi and Ofunmwengbe clays range between (23.73 – 50.40) and (22.92 – 51.88) respectively signifying that the clays originated from intermediate to felsic igneous rocks. The high Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) ranges between 86.14 - 93.57 and 86.05-93.47, Chemical Index of Weathering (CIW) between 93.59 - 97.71 and 93.55 - 97.67 and Weathering Index of Parker (WIP) between 10.27 - 12.02 and 10.04 - 12.1. The CIA, CIW and WIP values for Iguoriakhi and Ofunmwengbe clays respectively indicates a highly intense degree and almost complete weathering of parent rock minerals to clay. This is confirmed by the low amount of detrital feldspar and mica in the XRD peaks. The average sum of (K2O + Na2O) and (Fe2O3 + MnO + TiO2) for Iguoriakhi (1.20% and 4.14%) and Ofunmwengbe (1.16% and 4.38%) clays respectively, are very low indicating that the clays are chemically inert and non-corrosive, signifying a high degree of leaching away of the alkali metals thus increasing the fertility of the soil for farming and agricultural purpose. The geochemistry of the clays reveals high composition of Al2O3 with average abundance of (28.77% and 29.01%), this indicates that the Al2O3 can be extracted for fertilizer and animal feeds production. The Average natural Moisture Content (AMC) values were 14.93% to 25.82%; Liquid Limits (LL) between 62.5% and 129.0%; the Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and Maximum Dry Density (MDD) between 25.5% to 42.2% and 1.10 g/cm3 to 1.32 g/cm3 respectively; and Specific Gravity (SG) between 1.81 and 2.05. These indicate the characteristics of a soil composition with a significant fine content predominantly clay. The industrial potential of the clay deposits based on their physical and chemical characteristics indicates that the clays with little beneficiation compare favourably with other industrial specifications suitable for the ceramics industry, pharmaceutical, paint and agricultural industries.
