Raw Materials Used in Traditional Pottery from Northern Morocco: Possible Alternative Material for a Sustainable Future in the Fran Ali Area

Abstract The colluvium and saprolite deposits in the Fran Ali area (Oued Laou, northern Morocco) constitute the main source of raw materials used in traditional pottery. These materials are becoming scarce, however, so alternative materials with the same characteristics are needed; this would ensure...
Ausführliche Beschreibung

Abstract The colluvium and saprolite deposits in the Fran Ali area (Oued Laou, northern Morocco) constitute the main source of raw materials used in traditional pottery. These materials are becoming scarce, however, so alternative materials with the same characteristics are needed; this would ensure the sustainability of pottery activities in the area. The objective of the present study was to examine ten representative samples of clayey materials extracted from the Fran Ali area, i.e. the Ikhadimene, Dar Haddoune, Ihadounene, Aqqbat Ajjoua, and Isalahene sites. The geological materials consist mainly of grayish to brownish phyllites, thin layers of yellowish clay, thicker intervals of reddish-yellow soils ranging in depth from 1 to 4 m, and reddish colluvium soils. The physical properties of these materials were determined using semi-wet sieving and Atterberg limit tests, while chemical, mineralogical, and thermal properties were obtained from the methylene blue test (MBT), the calcimetry test, X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermogravimetric and differential thermal (TGA/DTGA) analysis. The results suggest that the soils contain 21–35% clay, 28–34% silt, and 37–52% sand. They are moderately plastic, with methylene blue adsorption capacities ranging from 3 to 7% and minimal $ CaCO_{3} $ carbonate contents (1–4%). Samples are dominated by $ SiO_{2} $ (51–57%), $ Al_{2} %$ O_{3} $ (17–21%), and $ Fe_{2} %$ O_{3} $ (8–10%). Mineralogically, they are composed of illite (19–27%), chlorite (0–22%), kaolinite (5–9%), and quartz (29–32%). Thermal analysis showed a relatively large mass loss of ~10%. The samples are deemed to be moderately plastic. The results indicate that this raw material is acceptable for pottery fabrication, given the small proportion of irregular interlayer content and its average geotechnical properties. In addition, extraction of the colluvium material is not sustainable because of the relative scarcity of the material. Given the mineralogical similarity between the weathered layers (colluvium) and their parent rock (shales), the present results suggest that the latter is a suitable alternative to the former. Ausführliche Beschreibung

Autor*in:	Hilali, Fatima [verfasserIn] El Kharim, Younes Hilali, Hasnaa Bounab, Ali El Idrissi, Hicham Draoui, Khalid El Hadri, Mustapha Ahniche, Mohamed

Format:	E-Artikel
Sprache:	Englisch

Erschienen:	2023

Schlagwörter:	Chemical characterization Clayey soil Geotechnical characterization Oued Laou Shales Traditional pottery

Anmerkung:

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to The Clay Minerals Society 2023. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Übergeordnetes Werk:	Enthalten in: Clays and clay minerals - [Cham] : Springer International Publishing, 1952, 71(2023), 5 vom: Okt., Seite 616-636
Übergeordnetes Werk:	volume:71 ; year:2023 ; number:5 ; month:10 ; pages:616-636

Links:	Volltext

DOI / URN:	10.1007/s42860-023-00261-5

Katalog-ID:	SPR05410808X