Chromium is largely used as alloying elements in steels for production of stainless steels. It is added in form of ferro-chromium, which is presently imported from Russia and Germany to meet the need of Nigerian Steel Industry. Chromite ore (FeOCr2O3) is the most important mineral occurrence of chromium, and some deposits are reported in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State. This work involves the analysis of collected ore samples from Anka in Zamfara State. The samples assaying 36.84% of Cr2O3 was subjected to beneficiation process in order to enrich the ore, in terms of the Cr2O3, using magnetic separation. The results obtained after the analysis of the beneficiated ore using wet chemical analysis and Atomic Absorption Spectrometer shows that Cr2O3 content increased to 48% with a maximum Cr:Fe ratio of 6.2:1. The content of Cr2O3 is high enough and can be used for ferro-chromium alloy production.
References
[1]
Kudrin V.A. (1988) “Steel Making” Mir Publisher. Moscow. P.358
[2]
Ubokwe and Khan (1996) Processing and Beneficiation of Quarzite, Manganese and
Chromite Ores for ferro-alloy production in Nigeria. Nat. Engg. Conf. Bauchi, April,
1996.”
[3]
Siyan Malomo (2003) “Materials for the Mineral Industry and the Challenges of
Processing” Annual Conference of Nigerian Materials Society (MRS), Akure.
[4]
Yaro S.A (2004) “Upgrading of Muro-Toto iron ore gravity pre-concentrate by
Reverse Froth Floatation Method” Journal of Raw Materials Research, Vol 1 No 1, 2004
pp 54-59.
[5]
Wills B.A. (1989), Mineral Processing Technology 3rd Edition Pergamon. New York.
[6]
Gasik M.I., Likichev N.P. and Emlin B.I. (1988) “Theory and Technology of
Ferroalloy Production” Metallurgy Publisher, Moscow p. 784.
[7]
“Chromium and Chromium Alloys” in Kirk-Othmer Encyclopaedia of Chemical
Technology, 4th Edition, Vol VI, 1993 p. 230.
[8]
John Papp (1994) “Chromite” in Industrial Minerals and Rocks. 6th Edition Society for
Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration. P. 210
[9]
Robinson M, Wilson H.B., Crosby A.D, Talati K (1981)”Beneficiation of Chromite
Ore and other ores by Selective Chlorination” Journal of Extraction Metallurgy, London
Sept, 1981, pp 393 – 403.
[10]
Petruck, W. (1976) “The Application of Quantitative Mineralogical Analysis of Ores
to predict the optimum Grind” Canadian Mineral Processors, Ottawa.
[11]
Nwokike P.N. (2003) “Characterization And Beneficiation Of Anka Chromite Ore”
Draft M.Eng Thesis, FUT, Minna.