High Aluminum Content Research Articles

Sand Production of the Shale Gas Well in Different Production Periods: Structure and Component

Complex geology and fracturing operations have led to frequent sand production problem in the shale gas well. Sand production brings huge engineering risks and seriously affects the normal production of the shale gas well. In order to study the property and source of the yielded sand, sand samples in three production periods of flowback, production test and gas production are collected from Sichuan Basin of China. Combining the methods of particle size analysis, microscope observation, scanning electron microscope, CT scanning, infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive spectrum analysis, the multi-scale structure and composition characteristics of the yielded sand from different production periods were investigated. Results show that the sand size is the largest in the production test period and the smallest in the gas production period. The large-size sand is blocky in the flowback period, while it is flaky in the period of production test and gas production. The roundness of sand becomes worse as the sand size decreasing. Sand composition has the characteristics of fracturing proppant and shale mineral. Cementing material between large-size sands has the network structure and the higher content of aluminum and iron. Organic chemicals are found to be adhered to the sand surface in all three periods. Both shale fracture and proppant failure can generate particles that provide the material source for sand production. This research provides the source of the yielded sand and a theoretical guidance for the sand production mechanism.

Elevated IgG Antibody to Aluminum Bound to Human Serum Albumin in Patients with Crohn’s, Celiac and Alzheimer’s Disease

Aluminum is in our water and food, and is used as an adjuvant in vaccines. About 40% of the ingested dose accumulates within the intestinal mucosa, making the gut the main target of inflammation and autoimmunity; about 1% accumulates in the skeletal system and brain, inducing the cross-linking of amyloid-β-42 peptide and the formation of amyloid aggregates associated with Alzheimer’s disease. To examine whether the accumulation of aluminum in the gut and brain tissues results in neoantigen formation, we bound aluminum compounds to human serum albumin. We used ELISA to measure IgG antibody in 94 different sera from healthy controls and 47 sera from each group of patients: anti-Saccharomyces cerevisiae antibody-positive (Crohn’s), and positive for deamidated α-gliadin and transglutaminase-2 IgA antibodies (celiac disease), autoimmune disorders associated with intestinal tissue antigens. Because earlier studies have shown that aluminum exposure is linked to Alzheimer’s disease etiology, and high aluminum content is detected in Alzheimer’s patients’ brain tissue, we also measured aluminum antibody in the blood of these patients. Additionally, we measured aluminum antibody in the sera of mixed connective tissue disease patients who were positive for antinuclear antibodies, and used them as disease controls. We found significant IgG antibody elevation against all three aluminum compounds in the sera of patients with Crohn’s, celiac and Alzheimer’s disease, but not in patients with mixed connective tissue disease. We concluded that aluminum ingestion and absorption from the GI tract and brain may contribute to Crohn’s, celiac and Alzheimer’s disease, but not to mixed connective tissue disease.

Desulfurization Ability of Blast Furnace Slag Containing High Al2O3 at 1773 K

With the consumption of high-quality iron ore resources, the grade of iron ore raw used in the iron making process has gradually decreased. The high aluminum raw materials has led to an increase in the Al2O3 content in the blast furnace slag, which has affected the normal operation of the blast furnace. The activity of the components involved in the desulfurization reaction is an important factor affecting the desulfurization process. In this paper, the effects of B(w(CaO)/w(SiO2)) and w(MgO)/w(Al2O3) on the desulfurization ability of a CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3 quaternary blast furnace slag system were studied by using a double-layer graphite crucible to simulate the process of molten iron dropping through the slag at 1773 K. The desulfurization reaction mechanism of high alumina blast furnace slag is explained from the aspects of slag structure and component activity, which provides a theoretical basis for the reasonable selection of a slag making system under the condition of a high alumina content. The effects of different B and w(MgO)/w(Al2O3) on the slag structure 2343 analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results show that when w(MgO)/w(Al2O3) = 0.50 and w(Al2O3) = 20%, the desulfurization ability and MgO activity of slag increased with the increase of B; when w(Al2O3) = 20% and B = 1.30, the desulfurization ability and MgO activity of the slag increased with the increase of w(MgO)/w(Al2O3). The FT-IR analysis showed that with the increase of B or w(MgO)/w(Al2O3), the dissociated free oxygen ions (O2−) in the slag increased, and the dissociated free oxygen ions (O2−) interacted with the bridging oxygen (O0) of silicate, which made the complex Si-O structure in the slag gradually depolymerize and increase the desulfurization ability.

An integrated modeling approach for mineral and metal transport in acidic rivers at high mountainous porphyry Cu systems

The natural occurrence of acid waters in mountainous porphyry Cu systems poses challenges for water management considering the increasing water demand and global environmental change. Unraveling the transport and fate of minerals and metals in these types of acidic river systems is crucial for environmental management. To this purpose, we develop a transport and a hydrogeochemical model by coupling five components: (i) hydrology; (ii) hydrodynamics; (iii) sediment transport; (iv) solute transport; and (v) hydrogeochemistry. Our study domain is the Yerba Loca creek, a high-altitude acid rock drainage (ARD) basin located in the central Andes, Chile. Water in the upper basin shows a low pH (around 3) and high aluminum, copper, iron, manganese, and sulfate concentrations. Our model reproduced the observed mineralogical and chemical processes by inducing the expected pH dependence on mineral precipitation along the river. Results showed good agreement between modeled and field data, highlighting the main processes that control the transport and fate of minerals and metals in mountainous river systems.

The Endophytic Pseudomonas sp. S57 for Plant-Growth Promotion and the Biocontrol of Phytopathogenic Fungi and Nematodes

Oregano from Socoroma (Atacama Desert) is characterized by its unique organoleptic properties and distinctive flavor and it is produced using ancestral pesticide-free agricultural practices performed by the Aymara communities. The cultivation in this zone is carried out under extreme conditions where the standard production of different crops is limited by several environmental factors, including aridity, high concentration of salts, and boron among others. However, oregano plants are associated with microorganisms that mitigate biotic and abiotic stresses present in this site. In this work, the S57 strain (member of the Pseudomonas genus that is closely related to Pseudomonas lini) was isolated from roots of oregano plants, which are grown in soils with high content of non-sodium salts and aluminum. This bacterium stimulates the growth of Micro-Tom tomato plants irrigated with saline-boric water. Moreover, it controls the growth of phytopathogenic fungi Fusarium oxysporum and Botrytis cinerea and the nematode Meloidogyne incognita under saline-boric conditions. Together with the high levels of bacterial biomass (~47 g/L), these results allow the establishment of the bases for developing a potential new agricultural bioproduct useful for arid and semiarid environments where commercial biological products show erratic behavior.

Lanthanum Strontium Cobaltite-Alumina Fiber Composite Contact Material for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Lanthanum strontium cobaltite (LSCo) is considered a good candidate as cathode contact materials for SOFC applications, due to its high electrical conductivity as compared to the standard LSM materials. However, it suffers very poor thermal cycle stability because large mismatch in CTE. To overcome the large residual stress, we proposed to use strong and short alumina fiber to enforcement the LSCo matrix. Alumina in vol% from 2.5 to 20% were formulated and prepared for sintering study, thermal expansion coefficient measurement, phase characterization, bulk strength, and contact strength evaluation before and after 10 deep thermal cycles. Results showed the presence of rigid alumina fiber did retard the densification of LSCo matrix substantially at high alumina content. Bulk strength showed increasing trend at low alumina content but decreased at high alumina v%, likely due to severe retardation in densifications. Contact strength on 1”x1” bilayer showed the strong bonding at low alumina v% while good thermal cycle stability was observed. The candidate composite was further tested in a stack fixture using 2”x2” cell. Results of impedance versus cycling and microstructure and fracture analysis will be discussed to assess the validity of fiber reinforced LSCo as contact material.

Crater wear mechanism of TiAlN coatings during high-speed metal turning

The influence of the aluminium content (x) on crater wear mechanisms of Ti1-xAlxN coated WC-Co inserts in high-speed turning of 316L stainless steel was investigated. Electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were used to characterize the wear behaviour. Ti1-xAlxN coatings with x ≤ 0.53 showed, after 1/3 of the tool life, a thick adhered layer composed of oxides and metallic species from the steel, and no diffusion of workpiece material into the coating. These coatings presented the best wear resistance and least abrasive wear. The high aluminium content Ti0·38Al0·62N coating showed the worst crater wear resistance. This is assigned to interdiffusion of workpiece elements and oxygen into the coating as a consequence of spinodal decomposition of the cubic TiAlN-phase, resulting in more severe abrasive wear.

Studies on the Formation and Processing of Aluminium Dross with Particular Focus on Special Metals

In terms of production volume, aluminium is the leading metal in non-ferrous metallurgy. In particular, the recycling of aluminium-containing residues has strongly increased in recent years and will continue to gain importance in the future. Due to the high affinity of aluminium to oxygen, the oxidation of the molten bath is unavoidable, which leads to the formation of dross on the surface. This has a high content of metallic aluminium and therefore represents a valuable residual material that must be further processed. In the presented work, a study is conducted on the formation and possible further processing of aluminium dross. Within the scope of this experimental work, the pyrometallurgical treatment of Al-dross in the salt drum furnace was evaluated on the basis of an experiment in a TBRC (top blown rotary converter) by adding a salt mixture. In addition, the behaviour of special metals, in particular the rare earth elements (REEs), was investigated during such a melting process. This knowledge will be particularly important in the future, as inadequate scrap processing leads to more of these partially valuable contaminants entering the aluminium scrap cycle. The result of the experimental study was that the metal yield of the dross used in the melting experiment at the Chair of Nonferrous Metallurgy was higher than that achieved by external reprocessing. Regarding the distribution of the rare earths, there was a direct transition of these from the dross into the emerging salt slag phase.

A new approach to recover the valuable elements in black aluminum dross

Black aluminum dross (BAD) is a solid hazardous waste produced during the remelting of aluminum alloy scrap and contains a large amount of aluminum and other valuable elements. However, the extraction of its high-value components is challenging because of its complex phase and chemical composition. In this paper, a new process for recovering aluminum and other valuable elements from BAD is reported, which consists of three steps, i.e., catalytic hydrolysis of aluminum nitride, calcination of the obtained aluminum hydroxide, and molten salt electrolysis to prepare aluminum alloy. Under the established optimal conditions for the hydrolysis of aluminum nitride, 4 wt% NaOH, a temperature of 90°C, a liquid-solid ratio of 6 mL g−1, and a reaction time of 3 hours, the recovery rates of nitrogen and chloride salts are 88.8% and 97.57%, respectively. Bayerite and pseudo-boehmite generated by the hydrolysis of aluminum nitride present in BAD were converted into γ-Al2O3 when calcining the material at 800°C for 2 hours resulting in a multi-metal oxide with high alumina content. Aluminum alloy was prepared by electrolysis of the material in the Na3AlF6-AlF3-Al2O3 electrolyte system. This innovative technology can recover 97% of aluminum and other valuable metals (including silicon) in BAD and is a new route to achieve clean and high-value recycling of BAD.

Structural and Electrochemical Properties of Scandia Alumina Stabilized Zirconia Thin Films

This work presents a systematic investigation of scandia alumina stabilized zirconia (ScAlSZ, composition: ZrO2:Sc2O3:Al2O3 93:6:1 wt.%) thin films (~2 μm). Thin films were formed by the e-beam evaporation method on 450 °C substrates. The influence of Al concentration on thin film microstructure, structure, and electrochemical properties was characterized by EDS, XRD, Raman, and EIS methods. It was found that the aluminum concentration in the deposited thin films decreased with an increase in the deposition rate. The concentration of Al changed from 15.9 to 3.8 at.% when the deposition rates were 0.2 and 1.6 nm/s, respectively. The crystallinity of the thin films depended strongly on the concentration of Al, resulting in an amorphous phase when Al concentration was 22.2 at.% and a crystalline phase when Al concentration was lower. ScAlSZ thin films containing 15.9 at.% of Al had monoclinic and tetragonal phases, while thin films with 1.6 and 3.8 at.% of Al had a mixture of cubic, tetragonal, and monoclinic phases. The phase transition was observed during the thermal annealing process. Cubic and rhombohedral phases formed in addition to monoclinic and tetragonal phases appeared after annealing ScAlSZ thin films containing 15.9 and 22.2 at.% of aluminum. The highest total ionic conductivity (σbulk = 2.89 Sm−1 at 800 °C) was achieved for ScAlSZ thin films containing 3.8 at.% of Al. However, thin films containing a higher concentration of aluminum had more than 10 times lower total conductivity and demonstrated changes in activation energy at high temperatures (>560 °C). Activation energies changed from ~1.10 to ~1.85 eV.

SEM-EDS, PIXE and Raman spectroscopies analysis of Khlong Thom ancient glass bead, southern Thailand

Various colors of glass beads excavated at the Khlong Thom archaeological site in southern Thailand were characterized non-destructively using proton-induced X-ray emission spectroscopy (PIXE), scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS), and Raman spectroscopy in order to determine the glass composition and production technology in ancient time. The results show that most of them are alkali-based glass matrices. Some of them are high lead-bearing glass. The glass compositions are approximately the same as the Mediterranean, Islamic, and Indian glasses, but with a higher concentration of aluminum. The colors are influenced by transition metal-ions content such as copper, iron, and manganese. High content of lead has been found in the samples with opaque colors, especially the yellow opaque. The corroded and flaked surface of the glass bead has been revealed by SEM. In a comparison of glass composition, it can be proposed that there is some relationship in production technology between Khlong Thom archaeological site and other sites: South-East Asia; South Asia; East Asia; Asia Minor; and South Africa. This information indicates the historical link of both land and maritime networks for long-distance trade and exchange in ancient time.

High concentrations of aluminum in maternal serum and placental tissue are associated with increased risk for fetal neural tube defects

Aluminum (Al)1 is ubiquitously present in the environment, and human exposure to Al is common. Al has been reported to be involved in various human diseases and adverse pregnancy outcomes, including neural tube defects (NTDs). This study aimed to examine the association between prenatal Al exposure and the risk for NTDs using Al concentrations in maternal serum and placental tissue. The subjects were recruited from six counties/cities in the Shanxi province of northern China from 2003 to 2016. Al concentrations in both types of specimens were assessed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. In the maternal serum cohort (200 cases and 400 controls), compared to the lowest tertile concentration of Al, the highest Al tertile was associated with 2.42-fold (95% confidence interval, 1.23–4.87) increased risk after adjustment for confounding factors. In the placental tissue cohort (408 cases and 593 controls), the highest tertile of Al also tended to be associated with an elevated risk for NTDs [adjusted odds ratio, 1.60 (0.94–2.70)]. When analyzed by NTD subtypes, the highest Al tertile was associated with an increased risk for anencephaly in both cohorts after adjustment for confounders [odds ratio, 1.97 (1.15–3.48) in the maternal serum cohort; odds ratio, 4.75 (2.01–12.00) in the placental tissue cohort]. Taken together, using concentrations of Al in maternal serum and placental tissue as exposure markers, we found that prenatal exposure to higher levels of Al is a risk factor for fetal NTDs, especially for the anencephaly subtype.

Simultaneous hyperaccumulation of rare earth elements, manganese and aluminum in Phytolacca americana in response to soil properties

The plant Phytolacca americana L. simultaneously hyperaccumulates manganese (Mn) and rare earth elements (REEs), but the underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this study, P. americana and the corresponding rhizosphere soil samples were collected from an ion-adsorption REE mine area in China, and the elemental composition and soil properties were analyzed in order to explore the relationship between metal accumulation and soil properties. The results show that P. americana accumulates high concentrations of REEs (up to 1040 mg kg−1), Mn (up to 10400 mg kg−1) and aluminum (Al) (up to 5960 mg kg−1) in leaves. The REE concentrations in leaves were positively correlated with those of Al, Fe and Zn, while light REE concentrations were negatively correlated with P concentrations (p < 0.05). The soil properties explained 81.7%, 72.9% and 67.1% of REEs, Mn and Al accumulated in P. americana, respectively. The variation of REE accumulation in P. americana was primarily explained by plant available P (24.4%), pH (12.9%), TOC (9.4%) and total P (7.7%). The accumulation of Mn was primarily explained by plant available REEs (42.9%) and available Al (13.1%) while Al in P. americana was primarily explained by soil pH (14.4%). This study suggests the potential by regulation of soil properties in improving the efficiency of phytoextraction for REEs by hyperaccumulators.

Soil characteristics and microbial community response in rare earth mining areas in southern Jiangxi Province, China.

The microbial community and functional flora in rare earth mining areas are correlated, but the characteristics and metabolic pathways of pollutant in such mining areas are still poorly known. The heavy metals, rare earth elements, and microorganisms present after mining of rare earth mine sites were analyzed. After mining, all sampling sites exhibited low pH and low total organic carbon levels, accompanied by high iron and aluminum concentrations. The development of vegetation is closely related to the development of microorganisms. In the complex environment of rare earth mining areas, Proteobacteria exhibit an absolute competitive advantage. During mine environmental recovery, the relative abundances of Acidobacteria and Chloroflexi will increase markedly, and with further restoration the relative abundance of Firmicutes will gradually decrease. Many genera of bacteria related to the N cycle and heavy metal metabolism were detected in the study area, indicating the important metabolic pathways for ammonia nitrogen and heavy metals in rare earth mining areas. Bacterial genera that promote plant nitrogen fixation also occur in the area, further revealing the nitrogen cycle. This research is important for health assessment and recovery of rare earth mines.

Impact of high temperatures on aluminoceladonite studied by M\xf6ssbauer, Raman, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Mössbauer, Raman, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopies were used to examine the effects of temperature on the structure of two aluminoceladonite samples. The process of oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ ions started at about 350 °C for the sample richer in Al and at 300 °C for the sample somewhat lower Al-content. Mössbauer results show that this process may be associated with dehydroxylation or even initiate it. The first stage of dehydroxylation takes place at a temperature > 350 °C when the adjacent OH groups are replaced with a single residual oxygen atom. Up to ~500 °C, Fe ions do not migrate from cis-octahedra to trans-octahedra sites, but the coordination number of polyhedra changes from six to five. This temperature can be treated as the second stage of dehydroxylation. The temperature dependence on the integral intensity ratio between bands centered at ~590 and 705 cm−1 (I590/I705) clearly reflects the temperature at which six-coordinated polyhedra are transformed into five-coordinated polyhedra. X-ray photoelectron spectra obtained in the region of the Si2p, Al2p, Fe2p, K2p and O1s core levels, highlighted a route to identify the position of Si, Al, K and Fe cations in a structure of layered silicates with temperature. All the measurements show that the sample with a higher aluminum content and a lower iron content in octahedral sites starts to undergo a structural reorganization at a relatively higher temperature than the less aluminum-rich sample does. This suggests that iron may perform an important role in the initiation of the dehydroxylation of aluminoceladonites.

Aluminum extraction from a metallurgical industry sludge and its application as adsorbent

The aluminum industry produces a high number of wastes that are concentrated in the sludge of their water treatment plants. This sludge is rich in aluminum, which could be extracted and purified. In this work, three extraction methods have been evaluated to recover the aluminum from the sludge samples provided by a metallurgical industry from Medellín, Colombia. The sludge has been characterized to confirm its high aluminum content. The Bayer extraction method has been carried out, using 1:10, 1:15 and 1:20 sludge/solution mass ratios, and HCl extraction, by using 1:15 and 1:20 ratios. The extraction with isopropanol has also been evaluated. The amounts of Al, Fe, Cu, and Ni present in the aqueous phase have been measured to determine the recovery of the metals, as well as the selectivity of the extraction method. The highest metal recovery (99.3%) is achieved by HCl extraction for a sludge/solution ratio of 1:20, while the Bayer method (1:15 ratio) has shown the best selectivity. On the other hand, the extraction with isopropanol has not been successful for any of the ratios evaluated. The extracted material has been tested as an adsorbent for the removal of chlorpyrifos (200 mg l−1), where the removal percentages have been higher than 95% for all the weight ratios studied. Hence, this Al-enriched material shows good prospects to be used as an adsorbent in the treatment of polluted water.

Leaching Treatment of Acid Sulphate Soil and Crop Adaptation Test under Micro Scale Condition

Agricultural problem on acid sulphate soil is related to high concentration of iron and aluminum which can be toxic to crops. The research objective was to determine soil leaching intensity or frequency effect on decreasing iron and aluminum concentration. Results from this research information can be used to develop field strategy in order to determine time and period for land leaching. Moreover, crop adaptation toward leached soil was conducted on corn crop. Experiment was conducted in laboratory of soil physics department of soil science. Duration of leaching was set up in the 5, 10, 15 days. The pH of iron and aluminum was analyzed before treatment. Iron content was at 11.58 ppm and pH was at 3.29. The result showed that the leaching option had highly significant effect on the increasing pH and reducing iron content. The pH was increase at 3.85, 4.07, 4, 26 and 4.34 respectively for 5, 10 and 15 days of leaching. It was also followed by reducing iron content of 9.29, 7.08 and 5.06 respectively for 5, 10 and 15 days of leaching. Within 15 day (two weeks duration) it was sufficient time to facilitate leaching process in the field. Climatic data showed that the rainfall was available during land preparation stage (November for first crop and March for second crop). On the other hand, the drainage facility should be developed in tertiary block to leach out the toxic element in the roots zone. This process should be done in the beginning of rainy season. Adaptation toward corn crop showed that 5 times leaching treatment was sufficient to provide good environment for crop’s growth.

Iron oxide and jadeite nucleation in high alumina glass-ceramics prepared from secondary aluminum dross

Secondary aluminum dross (SAD) is a solid waste of aluminum dross after it is extracted aluminum. Soda-lime-aluminosilicate (SLAS) glass-ceramics with high alumina contents (over 30 wt%) were successfully manufactured from SAD using pyrometallurgy without additional nucleation agents. The nucleation process of SLAS glass was studied, and 670 °C was selected as the nucleation temperature according to differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction results. Field-emission transmission electron microscopy was applied to study the microstructure of the specimens thermally treated at 670 °C for 3 and 12 h. Nucleation consisted of two parts: iron oxide nucleation and jadeite nucleation. During iron oxide nucleation, when the thermal treatment time increased from 3 to 12 h, the iron oxides first congregated in an amorphous phase and a small amount of metastable crystal; then, the congregated iron oxides crystallized into hematite and magnetite, which acted as crystal nuclei. During jadeite nucleation, the jadeite spontaneously crystallized from the glass matrix after thermal treatment at 670 °C. When the thermal treatment time increased from 3 to 12 h, the size of the jadeite crystals increased from approximately 6 to 12 nm. Jadeite crystals with a diameter of 12 nm acted as crystal nuclei. For glass-ceramics with a high content of aluminum and sodium, jadeite crystals can act as crystal nuclei without additional nucleation agents.

Aluminum–iron separation in high‐acid leaching solution and high‐purity alumina preparation

AbstractThe demand for bauxite has increased sharply due to the fast development of alumina industry, so new technology must be developed to take full advantage of nontraditional bauxite resources to realize a continuous supply of bauxite. In this experiment, anatase sulfuric acid leaching liquor is taken as the research object to conduct aluminum–iron separation and high‐purity alumina preparation. The leaching solution contains 34.20 g/L of Al2O3, 25.30 g/L of TFe, 7.96 g/L of TiO2, 12.74 mg/L of Sc2O3, and 288.72 g/L of H2SO4. When the temperature is low, aluminum and iron condensation, which are not conducive to the separation and recovery of various elements, may occur easily. In this study, the ammonium aluminum sulfate crystallization–recrystallization and ion exchange–calcination method is adopted to effectively separate aluminum and iron in a strong acid solution comprising high concentrations of aluminum and iron without consuming high residual acid in the leaching liquor. Consequently, successful production of high‐added‐value product 4N (99.99%) level γ‐Al2O3 with ammonium aluminum sulfate is obtained through separation as the raw material. The product has a specific surface area of 7.845 m2/g with a nearly spherical shape and being evenly distributed. Therefore, it realizes high‐value aluminum utilization from nontraditional bauxite.

Mineralogical and Geochemiccal Assessment of Edda Clays for Possible Use in the Ceramics Industry,Afikpo Sub-Basin,Nigeria

Clay samples from selected part of Edda were analyzed to identify the clay mineral types present, their chemical and physical properties with a view to appraising their industrial suitability as ceramic materials. The mineralogical and geochemical analyses were done using the principles of X-Ray diffraction and X-ray fluorescence respectively. A total of seven clay samples were used for the study, other tests such as plasticity, bulk density, shrinkage, loss on ignition (LOI) and water absorption capacity was carried out to determine the amount of water absorbed under specified conditions. The basic industrial properties assessment showed that more than 70% of the clays are fine-grained. The clays exhibited low to moderate plasticity, moderate shrinkage and bulk density, low to moderate values of both loss on ignition and water absorption capacity. The clays are buff to yellowish in colour. The results of x-ray fluorescence revealed that the mean concentration of major oxide in the clays is shown as follows: SiO2 (62.78%), Al2O3 (20.25%), total Fe (6.09%), CaO (0.56%), MgO (3.21%), Na2O (0.47%), K2O, (1.44%) and TiO2 (0.52%). The samples have high silica content, low alumina and low oxide content. The results of x-ray diffraction revealed that kaolinite is the dominant clay mineral with illite and montmorillonite occurring in subordinate amounts, while quartz and feldspar are the non-clay components present. The characteristics of the clays for each parameter were compared with industrial standards. These properties are appropriate for the Afikpo clays to be useful in the manufacturing of ceramics. However, since the silica content of the clays is high further beneficiation is recommended.