Physicochemical and Mineralogical Characterization of Moroccan Clay of Taza and Its Use in Ceramic Technology

Abstract

This study concerns the results of Physicochemical and mineralogical characterization of a white clay located in Taza 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 put a new line of research that deals with the use of clay in ceramic technology. The second objective was to develop gels of oxides of high purity from these clays. we can say that the white clay of Taza 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 clay Taza adding 0.57% 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 35 to 45%. 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 illite and kaolinite as clay minerals, other minerals present as impurities major are quartz, calcite, dolomite and feldspar. These results show the important features to justify its use in the ceramic industry.