Characterization and Beneficiation of the Glass Making Potentials of Silica Sand Deposit from River Benue North Central Nigeria

Analytical techniques such as X – Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy (XRF) and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) were employed to characterize the glass making potentials of silica sand obtained from River Benue, North Central Region of Nigeria. The results of analyses reveal that silicon dioxide (SiO2) forms the predominant metal oxide in the entire samples with a percentage mean concentration of 93.946 ± 0.4775%, followed by (Fe2O3; 0.7116 ± 0.0829%) (P2O5; 0.1160± 0.1746%), (MnO; 0.0692 ± 0.0851%), (Na2O; 0.0460 ± 0.0047%), (BaO; 0.0494 ± 0.0183%), (PbO;0.0342± 0.0319%) (NiO; 0.0280± 0.0178%), (TiO2; 0.0240± 0.0021%),  (Al2O3;0.0142 ± 0.0035%),and trace amounts of CaO, MgO,K2O ZnO and CuO. Further beneficiation( using acid leaching method) of the silica sand samples reveal an increased silica (SiO2) content from 93.946 ± 0.4775% to 96.1590 ± 0.0683%, with a corresponding decrease in Fe2O3 content (0.7116 ± 0.0829% to 0.4150 ± 0.0014% across samples. Physico-chemical analysis shows a moderate pH value of 7.03 signifying high basic oxides content in the silica sand samples. Acid Demand Value (ADV) test reveals a moderately low ADV in samples of 20.09, signifying the presence of low soluble carbonates in the silica sand samples. Grain size distribution analysis reveals that a high percentage of the samples grains size distribution fraction are within the recommended screen sizes (40-100 mesh). Heavy liquid separation test reveals a significant trace amount of principal minerals such as ilminite, magnetite, mica, calcite and kaolinite. A correlation between the mean values of SiO2 and Fe2O3 in all the samples reveals an inverse relationship between SiO2 and Fe2O3 which implies that as the values of SiO2 increases that of Fe2O3. Furthermore, comparison of observed mean of SiO2, Fe2O3, CaO, Al2O3 and TiO2 with their observed minimum standard (95.00%; 0.005%; 0.1000% and 0.0120%) shows that the silica sand samples from River Benue can be used as a source of SiO2 for glass making. Key Words: Silica sand, Grain size, Chemical composition, Metal Oxides, Beneficiation, Acid demand values, Characterization

Melon (Cucumismelo) and Groundnut (Arachishypogaea) peel extracts as corrosion inhibitors for mild steel in hydrochloric acid solution

The corrosion inhibition of mild steel in 2M hydrochloric acid solution by Melon (Cucumismelo)(MPE) and Groundnut (Arachishypohaea) peel extracts (GPE) at room temperature has been investigated using weight loss method. Inhibition efficiencies of 94.40% and 92.64% for2M HCl concentration was observed for GPE and MPE respectively. Generally, the weight loss of the coupons decreases at different concentrations of HCl solutions while the inhibition efficiencies of the inhibitors (MPE and GPE) increased with increasing inhibitor concentrations.Keywords: Cucumismelo, Arachishypogaea, corrosion, inhibitor

<b>Inhibition of the corrosion of mild steel in hydrochloric acid by isatin and isatin glycine</b>

The inhibition of corrosion of mild steel in hydrochloric acid by isatin glycine (ING) and isatin (IN) at 30-60 ^oC and concentrations of 0.0001 M to 0.0005 M was studied via weight loss method. At the highest inhibitor concentration studied ING exhibited inhibition efficiency of 87% while IN exhibited 84% at 60 ^oC. A chemical adsorption mechanism was proposed on the basis of the temperature effect and obtained average activation energy values of 143.9 kJ/mol for ING and 118.5 kJ/mol for IN. The two inhibitors were confirmed to obey the Langmuir adsorption isotherm equation at the concentrations studied. Also a first-order type of mechanism was proposed from the kinetic treatment of the result. The difference in the inhibitory properties of the inhibitors was explained in terms of the difference in their molecular structures and solubility rather than difference in molecular weights alone

Thermodynamics properties of diatomic molecules with general molecular potential

In this paper, the energy spectra of the general molecular potential are obtained using the asymptotic iteration method within the framework of non-relativistic quantum mechanics.With the energy spectrum obtained, the vibrational partition function is calculated in a closed form and is used to obtain an expression for other thermodynamic functions such as vibrational mean energy U, vibrational mean free energy F, vibrational entropy S and vibrational specific heat capacity C. These thermodynamic functions are studied for the electronic state X1+g of K2 diatomic molecules

SEM-EDS characterization of natural products on corrosion inhibition of Al-Mg-Si alloy

The corrosion resistance of aluminum and its alloys is the subject of tremendous technological importance due to their increased industrial applications. The corrosion protections and the mechanism of corrosion inhibitions of natural products for an Al-Mg-Si alloy in seawater were investigated at room temperature. The surface morphology was studied by means of macro scale electrochemical techniques and localized microscopic methods, i.e., Scanning electron microscope (SEM) with associated elemental analysis by energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). SEM examinations provided morphological characterization of the surface of Al-Mg-Si alloy sample before and after immersion in seawater; meanwhile surface analytical techniques by the EDS allowed us to investigate detail the chemical composition of aluminum oxide layers. The experiments were performed with Al-Mg-Si alloy, immersed in a 5 L beaker containing seawater with and without the natural products for 60 days at room temperature. The SEM results indicate that the natural products (natural honey, vanillin, and tapioca starch) absolutely inhibited the corrosion products on the specimen surfaces. They also protected the passive film from dissolution in seawater. The EDS spectrums were determined that carbonaceous, carbonyl, methoxy and hydroxyl groups as functional groups of natural products in inhibition mechanism