Reconnaissance Study of Smectite ores of Lafarge- Ewekoro, Ogun State Nigeria for Industrial Applications

This work aimed to study the aluminosilicate ore contents at Lafarge Ogun State environ as a means of identification of background variation of smectite in the ore-bodied environment. Smectite clay samples (bentonite) were collected from Larfarge Ewekoro environ, while zeolite used as a standard in this work was obtained from Petroleum Department of Covenant University for comparism purpose. The samples were digested with nitric acid, HNO3 and hydrochloric acid, HCl, after which the digested samples were characterized with, ultraviolet visible (UV-VIS), scanning, absorbance; and % transmittances. The results revealed similarity in ultraviolet visible for bentonite and zeolite with predominance of iron in bentonite samples. The colouration of bentonite due to the presence of transition metals in the environment under study could be of industrial uses in the manufacture of coloured wares and tiles, and magnetic ceramic, though further pre-application specific investigations are recommended. Also, the observed properties favour many aspects of industrial applications such as in pharmaceuticals, refractories, adhesives and porcelain wares. These will help in setting up small and medium-sized enterprise in this area resulting in employment creation and revenue generation.