Characterization and Mining of Talc Deposit from Kagara, North Western Nigeria

Nigeria's talc reserves are considered suitable for a strong industry for both local and export demands. However, there is only one active talc mining and processing operation, located in Kagara, northwestern Nigeria. The talc resources occur in the schist belts, spread over several geopolitical regions. The deposits occur mainly as massive talcose rocks, usually grayish to greenish in colour. They are predominantly associated with chlorite, tremolite and magnesite. Chemical compositions range from 42% to 60% SiO2, 27 - 32% MgO, 3.5 - 14% LOI, 0.8 – 4.1% FeO and 1.1 – 7% Al2O3. Preliminary beneficiation tests on samples from the mine site show that the quality of the talc deposit can be improved by froth flotation, after pre-concentration by magnetic separation. The milled talc is mainly produced for fertilizers, and minor quantities for ceramics. It is however envisaged that the brighter talc produced by flotation would be suitable for paints, paper, plastics and textile. It is recommended that sub-surface exploration and further flotation studies be carried out to enhance the industrial applications of the talc deposit