Assessment of Industrial Applications of Raw and Beneficiated Feldspar from Odobola-Ogodo Pegmatite, Part of Idah Sheet 267NW, North Central Nigeria

Odobola-Ogodo area is part of the Basement Complex of Nigeria. It is underlain mainly by schists and intrusive granitic and pegmatite rocks along with sediments weathered from these rocks. A study of the area reveals the occurrence of feldspar deposits with a significant K2O component (K-feldspar) which are hosted by the granitic and pegmatite intrusives. Mineralogical results by petrography and XRD show that the Odobola feldspar is predominantly microcline and albite types with averages of 50.7% and 42.6% respectively, and a trace of phlogopite as accessory mineral (6.7%). Geochemical data for the raw/beneficiated feldspar samples respectively show average weight percentages of major oxides as SiO2 66.03/59.64, Al2O3 15.56/17.08, K2O 13.40/15.70, Na2O 5.68/7.59, CaO 0.13/0.008, Fe2O3 0.4/0.02, and MgO 0.10/0.009. The results of the analyses were compared with those of the Bureau of Indian Standards and popular commercial feldspar grades. Both the raw and beneficiated feldspar deposits from the area can be used in industries such as glass, ceramic tiles, sanitary wares and insulators, electrodes, cement, chemical and abrasives. However, the beneficiated feldspar is preferred in the higher quality products such as glass and ceramics. In addition to feldspar, mineral resources inferred in Odobola-Ogodo include quartz, tantalite and tourmaline. It is recommended that further studies would be necessary to identify flotation reagents that are more environmentally friendly than the conventional hydrofluoric acid.