ABSTRACT
Eight (08) clay samples, four (4) each were obtained from Okhoro and Oduna, Southern Nigeria with the aim of determining its implication for its industrial use. An integration of analytical techniques such as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscope were employed. The X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) results show that the silica content was the highest (54.32wt.%) and that of TiO2 was thelowest (1.05 wt.%). Other oxides include Al2O3, 28.71wt.%; Fe2O3, 3.05 wt.%; CaO, 1.21 wt.% and some small amounts of other oxides such as MgO of 0.34 wt.%; K2O, 0.93 wt.%; P2O5, 0.02 wt.% and Na2O, 0.22 wt.%. Trace elements such as Ba, Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn were observed in all the samples. Ba is the most abundant and had values of 658.70ppm, Cu, 27.82ppm; Cr, 109.85ppm; Ni, 30.7ppm and Zn, 212.75ppm. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) results showed that kaolinite predominate in the clay bodies, subordinate amounts of quartz, iron oxide, illite, smectite, mica, anatase, microcline, montmorillite. The field emission scanning electron microscope results showed kaolinite with a perfect hexagonal sape. The results shows that the Okhoro and Oduna clay samples are suitable as basic raw materials for refractory bricks and paper production, but is unsuitable for ceramic and paints production due to its high kaolinite content. However, the studied clay can be most suitable for ceramic production with beneficiation to reduce its compositional deficiencies.
