Quality Assessment of Igue Calcite Deposit for Industrial Applications

Abstract

Calcite is one of the primary components of marble and limestone, they made up a significant amount of the crust of the Earth. The goal of the study is to characterize the Igue calcite deposit. Samples were sourced from five different pits, which were homogenized and eventually weighed five kilograms. Of that amount, one kilogram was set aside for laboratory testing and analysis. The sample was first crushed to a size of 1400 µm and then further reduced to 1100 µm using a ball mill. 100 grams of the sample was riffled out for sieve analysis, the particles were classified into 1000µm, 710µm, 500µm, 355µm, 250µm, 180µm, 125µm, 90µm, 63µm, and -63µm, and 125 µm sieve size was sampled out for chemical analysis using an X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. The particle size distribution methods that were employed were the Gates Gaudin Schumann Method and the Rosin Rammler Method. The economic and actual liberation size is at sieve 180µm and 125µm respectively, according to the sieve analysis result mid points is at 49.26% which is the equilibrium point on the graph. The results of the chemical study indicate that the Igue white calcite deposit contains the following elements: Mg, Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Pb, W, Au, Ag, and Rb with the mean concentrations of the following: 0.0000, 0.4257, 0.6757, 0.2845, 0.4199, 0.0000, 67.9587, 0.0000, 0.0009, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.1958, 0.0061, 0.0090, 0.0175, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0005 and 0.0000 respectively and intensities of : 0.0000, 0.0014, 0.0076, 0.006, 0.0059, 0.0000, 0.6923, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0012,0.0002, 0.0005, 0.0006, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, 0.0000, Igue white calcite has a good calcium content and intensity, with calcium being the predominant element in the sample and having the following intensity of 0.6923 and content of 67.9587.