CHARACTERIZATION ASSESSMENT OF COLUMBITE ORE FOR NIOBIUM PENTOXIDE VALUE ADDITION FOR ORTHOPEDIC APPLICATION

The demand for stable source for niobium pentoxide has market prospects for orthopedic implants, especially if economically sourced and processed. Columbite ore was extracted and sampled from four pits in Kuru mine site in Jos South Local Government Area, Nigeria. The columbite was processed using a three-disc rapid magnetic separator, and characterized using ED-XRFS, XRD, and SEM/EDS. The magnetic samples were mainly iron with impurities, while the ferromagnetic samples were columbite with niobium pentoxide, and the non-magnetic samples were more of silica. The crude was found to contain 32.1 % ZrO₂, 3.42 % ThO₂, 12.31 % Nb₂O₅, 6.65 % Fe₂O₃, 52.19 % SiO₂, and 1.61 % TiO₂, along with other trace compounds. The 45 A current application yielded the highest ferromagnetic product with a high grade of Niobium pentoxide, with a recovery rate of 67.67 %. The sample morphology showed coarse interlocking within crystal aggregates in the ore matrix. The elements present were Ti, Al, Mn, O, B, Ta, and Nb. The processed concentrate sample contained 1.8414 % SiO₂, 13.9485 % TiO₂, 20.9295 % Fe₂O₃, 46.5767 % Nb₂O₅, 7.9113 % Ta₂O₃, and other constituent compounds in trace form. The processed tailings sample contained 12.1418 % MgO, 4.3061 % Al₂O₃, 1.3150 % SO₃, 40.8441 % SiO₂, 4.8829 % CaO, 6.4475 % Cr₂O₃, 25.9409 % Fe₂O₃, and 1.0330 % NiO.