Composition and Ceramic Properties of some Clays from Northeastern Alberta

Mineralogical analyses of five samples of clay from below the oil sands near Fort McMurray, Alberta show quartz, minerals of the kaolin group, chlorite, illite, and a swelling clay mineral as dominant constituents tests showed firing ranges similar to those of stoneware clay, but most samples had drying or firing problems. Only one burned to a buff colour. A sixth sample, of glacial clay, is free of montmorillonite. It consists mostly of quartz, chlorite, and illite. Although very high in quartz, it appears to be more technically suitable for some ceramic products than the other clays.