ANALYSIS OF METAL CONTENTS IN THE CLAYS OF ONE HILLY AND TWO VALLEY VILLAGES OF MANIPUR

The presence of metal oxides and carbonates, either naturally occurring in the clay or added, gives distinct colours, resulting in a better pottery product. Metal oxides produced by the metals during the process of firing can give variant colours, and these metal oxides are responsible for the rich and diverse palette of colours seen in glazed pottery. With an aim at identifying the metals present in the clays used by the traditional potters for a better-looking and durable production, the investigation has been conducted. During the investigation, clay samples collected from different sites of Thongjao S/C village, Kakching District; Nongpok Sekmai Village, Thoubal District, both in valley areas and from different layers of Chandonpokpi S/T Village under Chandel District of Manipur (Hilly Area) were analyzed by using the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy method. It was observed that there is a difference in their elemental components and also in texture, particle size, and colour. These clays have pH values ranging from 4.5 to 6.9 and are found to contain 0.67 % to 3.546 % organic carbon, 260 to 565 Kg Ha-1 nitrogen, 4.25 to 78.5 Kg Ha-1 phosphorus and 22.4 to 78.5 Kg per Hectare of potassium. Determination of contents in ppm for the metals viz Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) in the different clay samples using the Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy method was performed.