CLAY DEPOSITS IN NIGERIA FOR BRICKS MAKING
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| CLAY BRICKS |
Africa is rich in natural resources, endowed with many riches of the earth including clay. In Nigeria, Clay is gotten from majority of the states in nigeria and they are deposited in most of the states in appreciable quantities.
The states include Abuja,akwa ibom, benue, bauchi,anambra state, borno, cross river,delta,edo,lagos,nasarawa,ogun, ondo,oyo and sokoto.
Historically, clay has been used in Nigeria for building constructions, it was used in the acient times in the building of huts and even some modern houses in nigeria.
Clay deposits can be primary or secondary stages,the primary clays are formed as a residual deposit in soil and trapped at the original site of where they are formed.
While the secondary clays are clays that have been transported by water or erosion from their original site to the place of their deposit. Clay is mainly extracted by local artisans in Nigeria rather than commercial companies. deposits can be found in large and marine basins because of it extremly low energy sedimentory environment .
There are three different clay deposit grades in Nigeria including kaolinite,microcline and musovite. All are very useful in bricks making and construction because of their chemical composition and structural forms. While bentonite clay deposits are found in Abia State regions of Arochukwu, bende and Umuahia with other bentonite deposits found in Akwa ibom regions of itu, Cross river region of ogurude, Ohozara in ebonyi state and some parts of Yobe State.
Other locations in the south eastern part of Nigeria with Clay deposits are Aloji in Abia state and parts of Anambra state and Imo state.