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Influence of the clay composition on the quality of traditional ceramics: example of the site of Mzouda (Central Morocco)

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Abstract

This study aims to characterize the clayey materials from the site of Mzouda in the Marrakech area, one of the largest producers and suppliers of tajines in Morocco. This traditional production is only based on empirical knowledge of artisans, causing some flaws, such as cracking under the effect of thermal shocks. The physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization of the starting clayey material will improve understanding of the thermal shocks resistance character of Mzouda tajine. The physical properties of raw materials were identified by particle size distribution and consistency limits. Chemical composition was evaluated through XRF, total organic content and calcimetry, while mineralogical characteristics were investigated by the XRD technique. Two common raw clay materials used for Tajine’s manufacturing in Morocco were chosen as references. Results showed that the main oxides in the studied samples were SiO2 and Al2O3, whereas the other oxides were present only in small quantities. Quartz, feldspars and clay minerals were the dominant mineral phases, associated with minor phases of dolomite and hematite. Illite was the dominant phase among the clay minerals, followed by smectite, while kaolinite, chlorite and vermiculite may also be present in small abundance. Compared to the reference clays, the clay mixture adopted by the potters is adequate in terms of mineralogy and chemistry to produce Tajines. In terms of plasticity, the clay mixture used is suitable for moulding owing to its moderate plasticity parameters. However, the clay mixture used by the potters of Mzouda site has a fine texture with a relatively high percentage of clay fractions (28%), hence the need for some modifications, in particular grain size corrections, to make it suitable for Tajine manufacturing.

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Funding

The financial support is provided by “Secrétariat d’Etat auprès du Ministère du Tourisme, du Transport Aérien, de l’Artisanat et de l’Economie Sociale Chargé de l’Artisanat et de l’Economie Sociale, Direction de la Préservation du Patrimoine, de l’Innovation et de la Promotion” and by the “Bilateral Cooperation Project Wallonie Bruxelles-Maroc” (grant 2.7) that are all gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire de Géosciences Appliquées À L’Ingénierie de L’Aménagement (GAIA), Faculté Des Sciences Ain Chock, Université Hassan II, B.P 5366, Casablanca, Morocco

    Taha Hosni & Toufik Remmal

  2. Laboratoire de Géoressources, Géoenvironnement Et Génie Civil (L3G), Faculté Des Sciences Et Techniques, Université Cadi Ayyad, B.P.549, Marrakech, Morocco

    Lahcen Daoudi

  3. Materials Science, Energy and Nanoengineering Department (MSN), Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P), Lot 660.Hay Moulay Rachid, 43150, Ben Guerir, Morocco

    Hicham El Boudour El Idrissi

  4. UR, AGEs, Département de Géologie, Université de Liège, Quartier Agora Bâtiment B18, 4000, Liège, Belgium

    Meriam El Ouahabi & Nathalie Fagel

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  1. Taha Hosni
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  2. Lahcen Daoudi
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  3. Toufik Remmal
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Correspondence to Taha Hosni.

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Responsible Editor: Domenico M. Doronzo

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Hosni, T., Daoudi, L., Remmal, T. et al. Influence of the clay composition on the quality of traditional ceramics: example of the site of Mzouda (Central Morocco). Arab J Geosci 14, 2805 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-021-09018-7

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