Characterization of some selected Ghanaian clay minerals for potential industrial applications

Abstract

The aim of this work was to study five (5) selected local raw clay materials from Ghana using different characterization techniques such as Thermogravimetric/Differential Thermal Analysis (TG/DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infra-red Spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning Electron Microscopy equipped with Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and Nitrogen Desorption (Brunauer-Emmett-Teller, BET) specific surface area analysis. The clay samples studied are; Nkroful kaolin (NK), Amanfrom kaolin (AK), Ball clay (BC), Akyem Feldspar (AF) and Akwatia silica (AS). SEM and EDX show the morphological features of the five clay samples and also confirm the presence of some dominant elemental compositions such as aluminium and silicon in all the samples. FTIR show that the vibrations spectra in the region around 3,600-3,700 cm −1 and 700-800 cm −1 are due to M-OH groups and that at 900-1000 cm −1 corresponds to Si-O-Si modes. BET analysis gives specific surface area of the clay samples as NK (4.6 m 2 /g), AK (21.9 m 2 /g), BC (25.50 m 2 /g), AS (0.79 m 2 /g) and AF (0.49 m 2 /g). X-ray diffraction pattern confirm the presence of quartz as the major reflection in all the samples analysed and only kaolinite reflections appeared in three of the samples (NK, AK and BC). All the kaolinite clays (NK, AK and BC) are suitable starting materials for the fabrication of electroporcelain insulators, catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters.

Microstructural and mechanical characterization of expansive soils for sustainable stabilization purposes

“…The ndings of this study are expected to contribute to the ongoing efforts in the geotechnical engineering community to develop effective and sustainable solutions for the mitigation of the challenges associated with expansive soils, ultimately enabling the successful implementation of construction projects in challenging soil conditions. The comprehensive characterization of the expansive soil samples using advanced analytical techniques, such as XRD, SEM-EDAX, and TGA/DTA, will provide a detailed understanding of their mineralogical composition, microstructural features, and thermal behaviour [29]. This in-depth analysis will shed light on the mechanisms responsible for the swelling and shrinkage phenomena exhibited by the soils, which is crucial for the effective implementation of appropriate stabilization strategies.…”