Abstract
The characterization of clay raw materials of three clay deposits from Northern Cameroon was investigated. The three deposits, located in Gaschiga, Sekandé and Boulgou, are locally used as building materials, but no data are available on these materials and they are relatively unknown. Mineralogical, geochemical and physico-chemical characteristics were studied, using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence and physico-chemical analyses. Mineralogically, quartz was the most abundant mineral in the studied raw materials. It is associated to abundant quantity of smectite, kaolinite and K-feldspars, and slightly abundant to traces of hematite and amphibole. Geochemically, those clayey soils are more siliceous (SiO2, 51% - 59%) with significant amount of aluminum (Al2O3, 15% - 19%) followed by iron oxides (Fe2O3, 3% - 10%). Other oxides (K2O, MgO, TiO2, Na2O, MnO, CaO and P2O5) are in relatively lower proportion. High level of silica content explains the sandy nature of these clays. The results of granulometric analysis show that the studied raw material contain sand (39% - 68%) as major grain size followed by clay particles (17% - 38%), silt (1% - 36%) and gravels (0% - 16%). The studied clayey soils were moderately plastic, with plasticity index values ranging from 13% to 30%, and are also characterized by very high liquidity limits of 34% - 63%.
Highlights
Clay is a widely distributed abundant mineral resource of major industrial importance for an enormous variety of uses (Ampian, 1985; Reeves et al, 2006; Murray, 2007)
Clay deposits have been identified in all regions in Cameroon (Sieffermann, 1959; Nkoumbou et al, 2001; Mefire et al, 2015; 2018; Basga et al, 2018; Nchare et al, 2018; Nzeukou et al, 2021) though with differing properties probably owing to geological differences
This paper aims to characterize the clay raw materials collected from three clay deposits in the northern part of the Cameroon
Summary
Clay is a widely distributed abundant mineral resource of major industrial importance for an enormous variety of uses (Ampian, 1985; Reeves et al, 2006; Murray, 2007). According to Velde (1983) clay is applied both to materials having a particle size of less than 2 μm and to the family of minerals that has similar chemical compositions and common crystal structural characteristics This material has the power to be shaped, to shrink, to harden after drying and to consolidate after firing, which allows the formation of a vitreous phase more or less important (Melo et al, 2003; Kamseu et al, 2007; Pialy, 2009). Clay deposits have been identified in all regions in Cameroon (Sieffermann, 1959; Nkoumbou et al, 2001; Mefire et al, 2015; 2018; Basga et al, 2018; Nchare et al, 2018; Nzeukou et al, 2021) though with differing properties probably owing to geological differences It is the reason why many houses in cities and villages are built using these materials due to the social and economic factors. The results of the work will be used to improve a database to support the start-up of industrial projects for local clay materials
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