Conventional and modern techniques for the analysis of some Sudan clays

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the main elements contents of clay samples collected from different parts of Sudan (Omdurman, Marawi, Blue Nile, Kosti, Umm Ali and Portland cement) using gravimetric and volumetric techniques as classical chemical analysis and compare the results obtained to the X-ray fluorescence as a physical method of analysis adopted recently. The results obtained from chemical analysis were as follows: losses on ignition were in the range 1.06 to 24%; SiO2 were in the range 20-70%; Al2O3 9-33%; Fe2O3 0.05-9.40%; MgO 2-10%; CaO 0.6-61.07; K2O, 0.1-3.6% and Na2O 0.11-4%, depending upon the type of soil whether koalinite, montmorillonite or illite. The XRF analyses showed some agreement to chemical analysis in a loss on ignition, Fe2O3, Al2O3 and CaO, however, differ in K2O, Na2O, SiO2 and MgO. Keywords: Sudan clay, analysis, Chemical, XRF.