CHARACTERIZATION AND MINERALOGICAL ANALYSIS OF EZEAGU IRON ORE, ENUGU STATE, NIGERIA

An investigation was conducted on the characteristics and mineralogical analysis of Ezeagu iron ore. Ezeagu is situated in the Ezeagu Local Government Area of Enugu State with its administrative headquarters located in the town of Aguobu-Owa. The characterization and mineralogical analysis were conducted by utilizing some basic techniques for analysis such Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM attached with Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), and an X-ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). These analytical techniques were used to determine all the necessary parameter for this research work. The XRF, XRD, EDX, and FTIR analyses performed on the iron ore revealed that it is a high-grade, high-silica, and low-alumina ore with a predominantly hematite mineralogy. The ore's average composition consists of 30.59% SiO2, 2.11% Al2O3, 53.75% Fe2O3, and minor amounts of other oxides. The XRD analysis showed the presence of other oxides such as TiO2, MnO, MgO, and Na2O in the ore sample. The EDX analysis indicated that the ore is predominantly composed of iron, with smaller amounts of titanium, manganese, and silicon. FTIR analysis identified functional groups such as Fe-O, Fe-OH, and Fe-H bonds, which are typical for iron oxides and hydroxides.