Validity of clay for Al-Fat’ha and Injana formations for the brick and ceramic industry in Nineveh Governorate

Abstract

The scarcity of clay and alluvial deposits in the valley of the Tigris River and its tributaries in the northern region of Iraq called for the search for suitable clays for the construction ceramic industry in geological formations. A geological survey of the mudstone layers of the Al-Fat’ha and Injana formation rocks was conducted in the districts of Al-Hamdaniya, Telkaif, and Al-Shekhan in the Nineveh Governorate. Samples were taken of the layers that have an appropriate thickness and a topographical and mining position that facilitate exploitation in the event of the success of the raw materials for the industry. The study was conducted on five selected clay models from the village of Mehiwarat and the intersection of the Wana-Mosul Dam road, with two models, the village of Al-Nouran and Ain Al-Nouran. The results showed that most of the muddy geological layers are characterized by a high percentage of calcium and magnesium carbonate, and that the lowest percentage of calcium carbonate was in the layers of the Injana Formation taken from the village of Mehiwirat, which amounted to 16.83%, and that its classification is low-liquidity clay. Through the plasticity coefficient diagram and the plasticity limit, it was found that the clays of the Muhiwirat and Al-Nouran areas fell in the preferred range, while the rest were in the acceptable range. The prepared from Mehiwarat clay was characterized by a volume shrinkage of 16.1% and a weight loss of 23.4%, while the results of the tests indicated the brick models prepared from the clays of the intersection of Wana Mosul Dam Road and Al-Nouran Village were within the category B, all according to the Iraqi standard specifications.