Assessment of Clay Deposits Quality from East of Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq for some Ceramic Industries

Abstract

For the assessment of clay deposits for brick manufacturing, seven clay samples from different locations were collected by channel sampling method from Injana, Mukdadiyah, Bai Hassan formations and Quaternary deposits in Bestana village, the study area is located east of Erbil city (NE Iraq). For ceramic manufacturing, the quality of clay should be measured according to some physical properties. The mineralogical and geochemical study revealed by using X-ray diffraction and chemical characteristics, which represented that all clay samples containing; kaolinite, smectite, illite, and chlorite with some mixed clay and non-clay mineral quartz, calcite, dolomite, and feldspar. The physical properties of clay samples including grain size analysis and Atterberg limits showed that the raw materials contain clay in high proportion, silt in medium proportion, and sand in minor proportion. Plasticity index of the studied samples showed that they are moderately plastic to plastic range. The geochemical analysis of the studied samples showed that the clay raw materials are composed mainly of silica and alumina, which act as refractory material in the ceramic industry. In addition to that, there are different proportions of calcium, iron oxides, magnesium, potassium, and sodium, which are flux oxides.