Characterization of Nigerian Oil Sands by TXRF Spectrometry

摘要

Total reflection X-ray fluorescence(TXRF)analytical technique was used to determine the elemental composition of Southwestern Nigeria oil sands.Twelve elements:K,Ca,Ti,V,Cr,Mn,Fe,Ni,Cu,Zn,As,and Pb were detected and their concentrations,enrichment factors,and correlation determined.Very high enrichment factors were obtained for Cu,Zn,and As.The high enrichment factors for these metals showed that the concentrations of the metals were high enough to pose environmental degradation.Some metals detected(e.g.,As,Zn,Ni,V)could act as catalytic poison,corroding the refining column during refining of oil sands and corroding the pipelines during transportation.The correlation matrix result showed that some of the trace metals detected have common sources or similar chemical properties.The accuracy and precision of the TXRF technique were assured by analyzing certified standard reference materials IAEA-Soil-7(powder).