OVERVIEW:
The Department is headed by an Ag. Director, Mr. Jamil Baba, a graduate of the prestigious Western Australian School of Mines (WASM) as an Exploration and Mining Geologist and a trained Mineralogist.
The department covers minerals assessment of all ore deposits towards adding value to the low-grade deposits and coals studies through detailed and systematic research and development for industrial and domestic utilization of such raw materials. The department consists of two (2) divisions namely;
1.Mineral Processing and Beneficiation Division
2.Fuels and Energy Division
The work of the two divisions is being coordinated by the office of the Head of Department headed by an Acting Director with supportive administrative staff. This department has a numerical strength of 34 that are all technical staff with a wide range field of specialties related to mineral extraction and processing (Geologists, Mining Engineers, Mineral Processing Engineers, Metallurgists, Chemical Engineers and Chemists).
Mineral Processing and Beneficiation Division
This Division consists of three Sections namely,
Geology and Mineralogy
Mineral beneficiation pilot plant
Mineral beneficiation Laboratory
The division is saddled with the responsibility of all mineral sample sourcing and collection. It is also equipped to undertake mineralogical investigations, Ore/Mineral characterization prior, during and after beneficiation. These studies leading to good knowledge and understanding of all deposits are essential for efficient and cost effective mineral beneficiations. Ore textures, size and shape distribution, liberation size and mineral constituent types are some of the key information provided by the geologist during ore characterization to the processing engineer for an efficient flow sheet design and beneficiation. The microscopic studies assist in predicting grinding and concentration requirements, difficulties and associated deleterious elements which may be encountered prior or during processing and helps to establish the best method of beneficiation. The division also undertake coal studies aimed at characterizing the coal deposit through maceral and refractive index analysis for coal quality assessment and utilization.
The commissioning of a 250-500kg/hr capacity Mineral Beneficiation Pilot Plant (MBPP) facilities in 1998 saw the center beneficiating 20 – 30 tons of tin and columbite ores using wet high intensity magnetic separator (WHIMS). Iron ore beneficiation studies on pilot scale resulted in the development of process flowsheets for major Nigerian iron ore deposits that meets international iron and steel production for blast furnace methods with further upgrading achieving super-concentration of the ores for direct reduction method.
Major services offered by this division are
Characterization of solid minerals prior, during and after processing.
Applied mineralogical analysis in relation to value addition.
Coal Reflectance measurement and Analysis
Communition and Sample Preparation
Specific Gravity Test and Bulk Density Determination
Screen Size Analysis
Moisture Determination
Work index determination
Laboratory Scale, bench and pilot scales Mineral Beneficiation
Fuels and Energy Division
The Division has two Sections
Fuels laboratory
Coke Oven pilot plant
The division carries out continuous evaluation of various Nigerian coals to ascertain their suitability for metallurgical coke production for Ajaokuta and other blast furnace operation, where metallic iron is produced by smelting iron ore using coke in the supply of heat and equally as a reductant. It also carries out blending characterization of Nigerian coals with other imported coals to produce metallurgical coke for use in the steel industry. It equally carries out characterization studies of coals for use in power generation and for use as smokeless fuel domestically.
The pilot plant coke oven section of the division with an installed capacity of 250kg/day is designed to produce three grades of cokes through carbonization process. The coke grades are:
1.Blast furnace coke
2.Foundry coke
3.Domestic coke
The first two coke grades are cheaply utilized in the metallurgical industry while the third commonly referred to as smokeless coke is used for domestic cooking, heating etc.
The analysis and services majorly offered by the division are;
Proximate Analysis
Ultimate Analysis
Physio-chemical tests
Calorific value
Coke Strength Test
Production of Smokeless Coal
Production of Metallurgical Coke
MINERAL PROCESSING DEPARTMENT
jamil.baba@nmdc.gov.ng
+2348037009471
Logitech PM6 Lapping and Polishing Machine for polished-thin section and polished-block preparation for microscopic studies
Carl Zeiss Evo 25 Scanning Electron Microscope [SEM] Machine used to generate high resolution images of samples using focused beam of electrons to reveal textual, crystalline structure and spatial variations in chemical compositions through elemental maps or spot analysis using EDS. Also it is used for phase determination of samples