Physico-chemical characterization of fine gray clay with micrometric particle size

Clays are an interesting material used in several areas because of their abundance and natural ecological properties. Clay can be a building material either with rammed raw earth or fired clay bricks, also, it is used for the production of ceramics and pottery. In addition to that, absorbent clays are employed in soil remediation and water filtration, without forgetting the benefits of clays in health and wellness which allows them to be used in cosmetics, skincare, and hair products. In this study, thermophysical properties of a gray clay from the Gharb region of Morocco were investigated, to exploit its main assets and try to improve its weaknesses and limitations, so that this clay can be useful in different domains. Thus, this investigation will allow to control and to enhance this clay’s properties to be used in different sectors in an optimal way. This clay is a very fine material, mainly composed of quartz, showing a thermal stability around 900°C and good mechanical strengths. In addition to that, this material has a thermal conductivity of 0.62 W m-1K-1 which proves that it is a good insulator.