Mineralogical and Physico-Chemical Characterization of Raw Iron Ore from Bandjéli in Bassar Prefecture in Northern Togo

Abstract

In order to contribute to the optimisation of industrial and domestic wastewater treatment using plasma-based methods coupled with photo-Fenton processes catalysed by natural iron ores extracted from soils, the physicochemical and mineralogical characterizations of these minerals were investigated. The characterizations were carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis indicates a predominant presence of hematite, characterized by a high iron content of 95.84%. The sample exhibits a low concentration of gangue minerals, with 4.19% SiO 2 and 1.45% Al 2 O 3 , and low levels of undesirable elements (0.15% S; 0.04% P; 0.06% Mn; 0.02% Cr; 0.01% Sr). These compositional data serve as a critical baseline for advanced investigations in materials chemistry, process optimization in extractive metallurgy, and the development of environmentally sustainable resource management strategies.