Characteristics and ceramic properties of clayey materials from Amezmiz region (Western High Atlas, Morocco)

Five clayey materials from two quarries located in the Amezmiz region (Morocco) were sampled and investigated for their physical, chemical, mineralogical and thermal characteristics to evaluate their potential suitability as raw materials in various ceramic applications. Physical properties were identified by particle size distribution, consistency limits and total organic content. Chemical, mineralogical, and thermal properties were investigated by XRF, XRD, and TG/DTA techniques, respectively. A common raw material in pottery manufacturing of Morocco was used as reference sample (REF). Results show that the main oxides in the samples were SiO2, Al2O3, and Fe2O3, whereas the other oxides were present only in small quantities. Quartz, illite and vermiculite were present as dominant mineral phases and the minor phases of kaolinite, calcite and smectite also appeared in the samples. The results showed that two of the studied clayey materials have adequate characteristics for the production of structural ceramics. However, for the two other clays it is necessary to add more plastic clays to enhance the workability.