Physicochemical and Mineralogical Characterization of Moroccan Bentonite of Trebia and Its Use in Ceramic Technology

Abstract

This study concerns the results of Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of a white bentonite of Trebia located in Nador region in Morocco and its use in the ceramics industry. Several techniques were used; in particular X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy coupled with EDX microanalysis (SEM-EDX), differential thermal and gravimetric analyses (DTA-TGA) and finally infrared Fourier transform (FTIR) and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). The first objective of this work is to look for the usability of bentonite of Trebia in ceramic technology. The second objective was to develop gels of oxides of high purity from these clays. We can say that the white bentonite of Trebia has the same characteristics of clays used in the ceramics industry (medium heat loss, low shrinkage, good flexural strength and good behavior in plasticity), this white bentonite of Trebia adding 0,42% sodium carbonate is sufficient to have a good deflocculation and the viscosity is minimum corresponds to the stability of the slip, in his introduction to a formula of slip was successful with a rate of 10 to 14%. The SEM-EDX, X-ray, chemical analysis and Infrared spectroscopy demonstrated and allowed us to identify the different minerals that make up the white clay, compared with the available data, we identified Montmorillonite, feldspath and quartz as bentonite of Trebia, other minerals present as impurities major are magnetit and iron oxide. These results show the important features to justify its use in the ceramic industry.