Analyses of minerals and elemental oxides in rocks from Waltadi district, Song, Adamawa state Nigeria

Benson Aliyu; Osemeahon S. A.; Ayodele Akinterinwa; Abdullahi Ismaila

Abstract

Rock samples from six locations namely: Wataldi, Teuta, Kubta, Gumta, Dumneza and Wazo, within Waltadi district of Song Local government, Adamawa State, Nigeria, were studied qualitatively and quantitatively using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) respectively. Results obtained showed the presence of minerals including: Quartz, albite, rutile, sylvine, barite, chalcopyrite, kaonilite, anatase, stolzite, marshitecovellite and fluorannite. The major elemental oxides obtained includes: silicon oxide (SiO2), aluminium oxide (Al2O3), ferric oxide (Fe2O3), calcium oxide (CaO), Magnesium oxide (MgO), potassium oxide (K2O), sodium oxide(Na2O) and sulfur trioxide. Minor oxides were also obtained, where lead, cerium, indium, vanadium, titanium, and barium were found in trace amounts except in Teuta, where barium oxide and titanium oxide were recorded in relatively higher percentages. The highest loss on ignition (LOI) values were recorded in Dumne-za and Waltadi (5.12 % and 4.28 % respectively), while the lowest value was in Teuta (0.98 %). LOI results indicated that hydrothermal alteration in the rock samples differs: however, the magnitudes fall within low to moderate range.

Abstract

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