Characterization studies on Agbaja iron ore: a high-phosphorus content ore

Characterization of Agbaja iron ore was carried out using optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry, powder X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetry, and differential scanning calorimetry. The ore consists of a matrix of gangue minerals composed principally of aluminosilicates and iron-rich concentric cored structures characteristic of oolitic ores. Chemical analyses of the ore indicate that it is principally composed of 53.1 wt% Fe, 1.395 wt% P, and aluminosilicates. The phosphorus associated with the ore was found to be present in both the iron-rich mineral(s) and the gangue minerals, indicating that beneficiation by elimination of gangue will have little effect on the percentage of phosphorus in the valuable mineral. Based on the results, it is postulated that phosphorus in Agbaja iron ore is most probably present in an amorphous phase and not as a component element of a distinct crystalline phase.