Evaluating the Potentials of Liberation Size Determination in Anka (Zamfara State, Nigeria) Manganese Ore and its Communition Tendency using Bond Index Technique

Abstract

The present level of exploitation of Manganesemineral from its ore is very low due to depletion of its ore; therefore, there is need for appropriate processing technique that will help in providing solution to the exploitation problem encountered. Chemical, Petrological, Mineralogical, Fractional sieve size analysis and work index of the Anka manganese ore in Anka town of Zamfara state, Nigeria was investigated. 500 g of the ore was weighed using digital weighing balance. The sample was crushed and ground to 80 % passing 250μm sieve size. The ground ore was analyzed using the Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (ED-XRFS), X-ray Diffractometer (XRD), Scanning electron microscope equipped with dispersion spectrum analyzer (SEM-EDX) and Leica Petrological Microscope. Fractional sieve analysis of the crude sample was carried out at sieve range of 1000-63µm towards particle size distribution and liberation size determination. 500 grams of manganese ore and quartz were sampled and prepared by crushing and grinding to 100% passing 1200μm sieve. 100 grams of prepared ores were charged into array of sieve arranged in √2 series. Set of sieves were mounted on automated Endecott sieve shaker and was operated for 20 minutes. ED-XRFS results shows 77.81% MnO, 10.9% Fe2O3, 4% Al2O3 while the mineralogical analysis reveals Spessartine (3MnO.Al2O3, 0.830), Silicon oxide (SiO2, 1.122), Quartz (SiO4, 0.728), Pyrolusite (MnO, 1.543), and Almandine (Fe3Al2SiO12, 1.583) were identified as the major phases in the ore and the petrological analysis of the crude samples reveals the presence of heavy mineral and segregation distribution of the mineral. The particle size analysis carried out on the Anka Manganese ore revealed that the manganese bearing mineral can be liberated at the particle size fraction of -180 + 125 μm. The work index of the Anka Manganese ore was found to be 14.16 Kwh/ton using the Gaudin Schumann Expression and it falls within the range indicated in literatures as standard which is 10-15.14 Kwh/ton.