Abstract
This study focuses on the characterization of lateritic clays collected in the Mbalmayo area for their potential use in the production of fired bricks. They were subjected to physicochemical and mechanical tests. The mineralogy of sample powders was determined by X-ray diffraction and Fourier transforms infrared, while chemical composition was carried out by X-ray fluorescence for major elements and by mass spectrometry for trace elements. The spread-out grain size leads to good compaction of the final products. The mineralogical composition is dominated by quartz and kaolinite, with minor amounts of goethite, anatase, and gibbsite. Geochemical results show a predominance of SiO2 (62.34–80.73 wt%), followed by Al2O3 (9.09–19.13 wt%) and Fe2O3 (1.82–6.26 wt%). During firing, there is insufficient sintering due to the low fluxing oxide proportion, while the transformation of kaolinite into mullite increases the mechanical strength. The linear shrinkage values increase with firing temperature and are low and below 5% at temperatures less than 1000 °C. The water absorption rate varies between 11 and 23%. The values of flexural strength are moderate and lower than 15 MPa. These overall features make the Mbalmayo lateritic clay suitable for fired brick production as raw materials at the temperatures are 900 and 1000 °C.
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Acknowledgements
This paper is a partial part of the first author’s Ph.D. Thesis at the University of Yaoundé I (Cameroon). The authors express their gratitude to Thierry Adatte (Lausanne, Switzerland) for XRD and XRF analyses; to the Local Materials Promotion Authority (Cameroon) for mechanical tests; and to Pr. Onana Vincent Laurent for its assistance during the field works. The authors thank the Editor-in-Chief (Abdullah M. Al-Amri) and three anonymous reviews for their constructive comments that substantially improved the final version.
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Mapuna, E.C.N., Aye, B.A., Ntouala, R.F.D. et al. Mineralogical, geochemical, and physicomechanical features of the Mbalmayo lateritic clays (Southern Cameroon) for potential use as raw materials in the making of fired bricks. Arab J Geosci 16, 671 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11791-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-023-11791-6