Contents

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................2

Background of Study..................................................................................................................2

1.1 Statement of Research Problem...........................................................................................3

1.2 Aim.......................................................................................................................................3

1.3 Objectives.............................................................................................................................3

1.4 Justification of Studies.........................................................................................................3

CHAPTER TWO.......................................................................................................................4

LITERATURE REVIEW...........................................................................................................4

2.1 Bentonite..............................................................................................................................4

2.1.1 Sodium Bentonite..............................................................................................................5

2.1.2 Calcium Bentonite.............................................................................................................5

 CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background of Study

The special properties of bentonite, which include hydration, swelling, water absorption and

viscosity, etc, makes it a valuable mineral for many applications such as foundry, drilling,

pelletizing etc. With drilling being one of the applications of bentonite, the present

consumption of bentonite in the drilling operations in Nigeria alone is over 50 thousand tons

per year and it is imported from abroad (Udeagbara et al., 2019). This trend is expected to

continue as drilling activities keep increasing. The large consumption and the high

importation cost of this material have led to various attempts to find a local substitute

(Udeagbara et al., 2019). Clays of different composition have been used in the development

of bentonite (Oliveira et al., 2016).

The prime days of bentonite clay production in Nigeria occurred in the late 1950s when oil

was first discovered (Agwu and Okon, 2015). This was short lived as the importation of

bentonite began in the early 1960s which led to massive decline in the exploitation and use of

Nigerian bentonic clay (Agwu and Okon, 2015), especially for drilling mud. This was due to

the fact that in previous studies, the Nigerian bentonic clay was found to be deficient in terms

of its fluid loss and rheological properties which includes yield point. Also, due to its high

calcium content and low sodium content as opposed to foreign bentonite, it does not meet the

API standard of drilling. (Igwilo et al., 2020) conducted a beneficiation test using snail shell

to improve the quality of the bentonic clay and it was successful. The term Bentonite was

first used to refer to plastic clay found in about 1890 in upper cretaceous tuff near Fort

Benton, Wyoming. The main constituent, which is the determinant factor in the clay’s

properties, is the clay mineral montmorillonite. This in turn, derives its name from a deposit
at Montmorillon, in Southern France (IMA-Europe, 2011). Bentonite rocks are composed

essentially of one or more of the group of smectite clay minerals (montmorillonite itself,

beidelite, nontronite, saponite, sauconite, volconscoite and hectorite), formed by

devitrification and subsequent chemical alteration of a glassy material of igneous origin,

usually a tuff or volcanic ash, acid preferably (Santos, 1992). Smectite mineral are individual

crystallites, majority of which are smaller than 0.002 mm (Kutlić et al., 2012).

Bentonite is processed to give sodium and calcium montmorillonite, activated clays and

organo-clays all of which have different properties that can gives them wide area of

applications. The European Bentonite Association reported some of the applications to

include foundry, pelletizing, construction – civil engineering, environmental markets,

drilling, oils and food markets, agriculture, pharmacy, cosmetic and medical markets,

detergents, paints, dyes and polishes, cat litter, paper, ceramics, and catalyst.

1.1 Statement of Research Problem

Ever since the advent of imported bentonite took the centre stage in the early 1960s, there has

been no widespread use or exploration of the Nigerian bentonic clay.

1.2 Aim

The aim of this research is to develop bentonite from local clay in Akpautong village,

Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

1.3 Objectives

i. Feasibility study and analysis of clay from Akpautong village

ii. Development of bentonite from clay in Akpautong village

1.4 Justification of Studies