Mineralogical, Geochemical and Distribution Study of Bauxites in the Locality of Bangam and Environs (West Cameroon)

Abstract

The bauxite duricrust in the Bangam and surroundings is classified into three major storey levels as follows: the upper level on top of the plateaus where the continuous bauxites outcrop in slabs over distances of about 1 km, the intermediate level on top and at the flanks of the hills where the bauxites flush in metric blocks, the lower level at the talwegs where bauxites duricrust are gravels. The average thickness of the duricrust is 9.6m and extends over an area of about 9.5km 2 . Five types of facies are encountered here: nodular, pisolitic, pseudobreccia, vacuolar and massive. These different facies were carried out by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry, X-ray diffractometric, thermal analysis (ATD / ATG) and by polarizing microscope observation. The results of these analyses show that, gibbsite is the dominant mineral; kaolinite, anatase, hematite, goethite, magnetite and ilmenite are also present. The chemical composition of the major elements that characterize bauxites are 38-60% Al 2 O 3 ; 2 -22% SiO 2 and 9-42% Fe 2 O 3 . These values are almost similar to those obtained in Doumbouo-Fokoue, Ghana, Ngaoundal, and Minim-Martap precisely at Briskok prospect. The different minerals paragenesis and geochemistry data show that, the Bangam locality is a bauxite ore deposit in spite of a high content of iron and silicate of some facies, nevertheless, these can be used in some industries.