Argilas de ocorrência no município de Caxias-MA: caracterização e possibilidades de aplicação

Abstract

Clays are widely used for having broad properties that apply from the health area; ceramic factories, even aesthetic treatments. Due to the fact that they are natural materials, of low cost and abundant in nature and with different possibilities of use, several researches have emerged aiming at the types of applications. Caxias Maranhão is a city rich in clay, and has great potential for the production and supply of materials derived from this ore, but they are little explored and have few studies on their compositions and properties, this work aims to carry out studies on the possibilities of applications of clays in the city of Caxias, as well as their characterization by means of X-ray fluorescence (FRX) and X-ray diffraction (DRX) techniques. In this study, three types of clays (red, white and gray) were collected in the former Ceramic Factory Terra Boa. These samples went through the washing process to remove the organic matter and through XRD and FRX characterization techniques seeking the mineralogical compositions present in the clays. Among the minerals found, the predominant ones in the 3 samples were quartz (SiO2) and kaolinite (Al2Si2O5(OH)4), as well as other important minerals that make up the clays. A bibliographical research was also carried out on the application possibilities of the three studied clays. The compositions and gifts present in the three clays are of fundamental importance and highlight in the production and supply of materials derived from this ore for production and distribution to various areas of industry. The application possibilities of this abundant, natural and relatively low-cost raw material in the development of new materials are also highlighted.