Geology, Mineralogy and Geochemistry of the Kaolin Deposits of Ouahigouya Area, Burkina Faso, West Africa

The metallogenetic district of Ouahigouya area, north west of Burkina Faso in the West-African craton, contains modest white kaolin deposits, whose exact reserves remain to be evaluated from the point of view of industrial utilization. Of six identified deposits, mineralogy and geochemistry of four were studied by X-Ray diffraction methods, scanning electron microscopy, ICP-OES and ICP-AES spectrometry. The identified minerals phases common to all the deposits are by order of importance, kaolinite, quartz, paragonite and illite. Relatively moderate content of silica and alumina, low value of iron oxide, dry shrinkage and white firing colour are suitable features for the use of kaolins in white ceramic field. The kaolin deposits of this area, are genetically related to the hydrothermal and juvenile supergene alteration of Birimian layered felsic pyroclastics.