Author(s)

Martin Ogwuegbu, Gerald Onyedika, Jiann-Yang Hwang, Asuwaji Ayuk, Zhiwei Peng, Bowen Li, Ejike E.N.O., Matt Andriese

Department of Chemistry, Federal University of Technology,P.M.B. 1526, Owerri , Nigeria..
Materials Science and Engineering, Michigan Technological University, 1400 Townsend Dr., Houghton , Michigan, U.S.A..

The morphology and elemental characteristics of Kuru Cassiterite ore deposit was performed by the combination of different instruments. This is vital to obtain accurate mineralogical, surface properties and compositions of the ore. Mineral particles were prepared on epoxy resin, polished and analyzed by a SEM coupled with an EDS. X- ray diffraction showed that the ore contained different minerals of cassiterite, coffinite, siderophyllite,ilmenite, qartz, rutile, manganocolumbite, zircon, tilleyite and monazite. Further quantitative analysis using inductive coupled plasma – optical emission spectrometry gave the elemental analysis as follows; Sn (28.0%), Si (5.5%), Fe (5.16%),Ti (3.51%), Al (2.48%), Y (1.06%), and Nb (2.53%). The other trace elements found include Mn, K, Na, Mg, La, Ce, U and Ca. The ICP-OES data was correlated with the XRD data obtained using the Guassian Pro 8.1 origin software and it showed significant correlation.

Cassiterite, Mineral phase, ore, characterization

M. Ogwuegbu, G. Onyedika, J. Hwang, A. Ayuk, Z. Peng, B. Li, E. E.N.O. and M. Andriese, "Mineralogical Characterization of Kuru Cassiterite Ore by SEM-EDS,XRD and ICP Techniques," Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, Vol. 10 No. 9, 2011, pp. 855-863. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2011.109066.