Mineralogical, Physicochemical and Morphological Characterization of Okpella Clay

Local clay mineral was mined from Okpella Town, Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Mineralogical characterization of the clay was carried out using X-ray diffraction analyzer. Chemical characterization of the clay was carried out using X-ray fluorescence analyzer and the pH analysis of the clay was carried out using pH meter. The mineralogical analysis revealed that the clay was majorly a dolomite mineral having 72% dolomite. The impurities present are 18% cristobalite, 4.1% garnet, 5% calcite and 1% quicklime. The pH analysis of the clay revealed that the clay was acidic having average pH value of 3.9. The pH determined for the 1:1, 1:2, 1:4, 1:8 and 1:10 samples were 3.61, 3.85, 3.85, 4.05 and 4.09, respectively.

The use of Karelia’s finelyground mining waste and local clay for production of heatinsulating materials

The results of the study of fine-grained feldspathic and talcchlorite waste from Republic of Karelia’s mining companies as a new mineral product for heat-insulating materials and stationary heat accumulators (fireplaces and furnaces) are reported. The physico-mechanical and thermal-physical properties of the materials, based on finely ground waste and local clay, are appraised. The materials produced from pegmatite waste are highly strong, and can be used for lining furnaces and fireplaces. Heat-insulating materials based on talc-chlorite waste have low thermal expansion at 20‒900 °C, their thermal resistance increases 9 times (at 980 °C, water) and their mechanical strength is 2,6 times higher than that of samples containing talcum powder.

Investigating Nigeria Local Clay for its Marsh Funnel Viscosity and Gel Strength: A Study of Irhodo Bentonite

Due to the daily increasing demand for crude oil fuel for its various capacities of energy production and utilizations, a twin respond of exploration for more hydrocarbon reserves and drilling activities was accompanied. As a result, rate and cost of importing drilling clay (Wyoming Bentonite), a major raw material in drilling mud becomes so high that hundreds of millions of dollar is incurred on company budget (Arinkoola, et al., 2020). Thus, the Federal Government of the federal republic of Nigeria, on sensing the benefits of local content development, then clamour for its use as drilling mud. This therefore becomes the bed-rock which this paper is belt on to investigate local clay for some its properties, like viscosity-gel strength. This paper also reviews the formulation of an equivalent one barrel of a laboratory drilling mud using Irhodo bentonite. This paper report two methods and devices used to determine viscosities; the marsh funnel viscosity method using Marsh Funnel and Fann Viscosity-Gel method using the Rheometer. The result of the experiment for the determination of viscosity using marsh funnel apparatus, for both local and bentonite drilling mud, and show 27.12 and 37.17sec/qt (seconds per quart). And when additives, CMC and guar-gum were added, 27.23sec/qt, 29.47sec/qt and 23.19sec/qt and 29.47sec/qt respectively obtained.

Analysis of Effects of Foreign Clay and Local Clay Additives on Viscosity of Water Based Drilling Mud

This research compared the viscosity and other allied rheological properties of formulated water based drilling mud using local clay (that is modified with cheap and available additives) and foreign clay. These additives (such as xanthum gum, high viscosity polyanionic cellulose (PAC-R), modified natural polyanionic cellulose (PAC-L), potassium hydroxide (KOH), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), and barite) are added to enhance/control the rheological properties (such as density, viscosity, yield point and gel strength) of the drilling mud. In this work, the viscosity and other allied rheological properties of water based mud were improved by the use of locally sourced clay from Awgu in Enugu State. The local clay was beneficiated/treated with hydrochloric acid (HCl) and characterized using x-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectrometer. The results of the characterization revealed that the local clay is more of silica which is typical of a kaolinitic clay. Local clay was examined as a possible replacement for foreign bentonite by comparing the rheological properties of water based mud (WBM) with bentonite and WBM with clay. Plastic viscosities (PV) of WBM with bentonite and WBM with clay were found to be 11.7 and 12.3 cP respectively. Other allied properties such as yield point, gel strength, pH and mud weight of WBM with bentonite and WBM with clay adequately compared closely. Laboratory analyses on the effects of three process variables (such as temperature, aging time and dosage of clay/bentonite) on the viscosity of the formulated muds were investigated. The laboratory results show that the readily available additives added to the local clay improved its viscosity and other allied rheological properties for effective drilling of oil and gas well when compared with foreign bentonite.

Evaluation of pH of Drilling Fluid Produced from Local Clay and Additives

Maintaining the pH of drilling fluid with suitable additives is one of the important operation for efficient drilling operations. However, commercial hydroxides are mostly used to control the pH of the drilling fluid. This paper evaluates locally sourced pH additives of burnt plantain heads (BPH), burnt ripe burnt ripe plantain peels (BRPP), and burnt banana plantain peels (BBPP) in comparison with conventional potassium hydroxide (KOH) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as suitable agents to control pH of drilling fluid. The drilling fluid as prepared with bentonite and local clay in different concentrations of KOH, NaOH, BPH, BRPP and BBRPP including Traona. The result of the study showed that pH of the drilling improved with respective use of conventional KOH, NaOH, BPH, BRPP and BBRPP as additives. In addition, KOH showed the maximum percentage of degree (%) of improvement on the drilling fluid with 38.46-45.45% compared with 27.2-40% for NaOH. On the other hand, BRPP achieved 27.2-41.2%, followed with 20-33% and 20-29.4% for BPH and BBPP respectively. Thus, the locally sourced additives could be used to enhance the pH and properties of drilling fluid.

Effects of Cissus Populnea on the Rheological Properties of Local Clay

Globally, Wyoming bentonite has been observed as the only accepted drilling fluid. Hence, the importance of investigating the mode by which Cissus populnea affects the rheological properties of local clay and as possible substitute for the international standard clay as drilling fluid. Ten samples of the local mud were taken at different locations of Afuze deposit, the stem bark of Cissus populnea was purchased in Ekiti State and authenticated at the herbarium, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Its extraction was effected using the soxhlet extractor apparatus. Samples A and C, were respectively the mud of the local clay and a mixture of the Cissus populnea extract and the local clay. A control sample, B was formed from a mixture of water and the International Standard Wyoming bentonite which was obtained from the Petroleum Engineering Department of the University of Ibadan. Rheological properties of each of the samples were determined. The results of sample C (density (9.85 lb/gal), pH (9.9–11.3); funnel viscosity (50–62 seconds); hydroxylethyl cellulose at 600 rpm (22-38 cp); filtrate value (13.0–15.8 ml); sand content (0.50–0.81ppg); gel strength (15-21 lb/100ft2) and yield stress (7-13 lb/100ft2)) fell within the API RP–13B standard for drilling fluid. The analysis showed that the differences between samples A, B and C were negligible and that the local clay treated with Cissus populnea can serve as a substitute for foreign clay. KEYWORDS: bentonite, Cissus Populnea, local clay, mud weight, rheological properties

Influence of Boric Acid Additive on Physical Properties of Utilizing Wastes for Producing Eco-Friendly Fired Clay Tiles

This paper aimed at studying the influence of additive material boric acid in eco-friendly fired clay tiles. It is used as additive material by mixing with rice husk ash (RHA), brown glass cullet (BGC), local clay (LC), and sediment soil (SS). Effects of boric acid on the physical properties of ceramic bodies were investigated. The texture of specimen by utilizing waste materials was also studied. Mixture formulations consisted of 60% BGC, 10% RHA, 0-30% LC, and 0-30% SS with varying boric acid addition of 0-2%. Specimens were formed by uniaxial pressing with 100 bars, fired at 850 and 900°C, heating rate 100°C/h, and soaked for 1 h. The results showed that adding boric acid up to 2% had increased the flexural strength and decreased the water absorption of these specimens when fired at 850°C. On the contrary, the effects of adding boric acid fired at 900°C had decreased flexural strength and increased water absorption that showed the phenomenon of expanding specimens. However, the optimal formula of these clay tiles both fired at 850 and 900°C have passed the Thai Industrial Standards (TIS 2508-2555); Type BIII. Scanning electron microscope should they that microstructure characterization was in the glassy crystalline phase was found in high flexural strength specimens. In summary, exploiting boric acid can improve the physical properties of specimens with a low firing temperature, and fired clay wall tiles can be developed in this study. They can be identified as an environmentally eco-friendly building product.