Author(s)

Kassoum Barry¹, Youssouf Sawadogo¹, Moustapha Sawadogo^1*, Brahima Sorgho¹, Mohamed Seynou¹, Boubié Guel¹, Philippe Blanchart², Lamine Zerbo¹

¹Laboratory of Molecular Chemistry and Materials (LC2M), University Joseph KI-ZERBO, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
²Institute of Research for Ceramic (IRCER), European Ceramic Centre (CEC), Limoges, France.

In Burkina Faso, one of the three largest gold producers in West Africa, foundry activity is often paralyzed when basic equipment such as crucibles and cups are not available or should be imported. However, previous studies have shown the availability of kaolinite-rich clay resources that could be used for the local manufacture of silico-aluminous ceramic crucibles. This work allowed to manufacture industrial ceramic crucibles with local clays and then they were tested in foundry industry. The materials were manufactured from three (03) raw materials including two clays (SAB and ROU) and sand. The chemical and mineral analysis has shown that the raw materials are suitable for the formulation of refractory materials. The results of characterization of the materials formulated showed that the properties of use are appreciable. The porosity of the materials is relatively low (23 - 28 vol%) with a diametral compressive strength between 0.61 and 1.34 MPa. Crucibles sintered at 1250˚C with a stay of 2 hours have a mechanical strength capable of supporting the weight of the ores contained. These crucibles have a refractoriness under load (T0.5) above 1141˚C and resist chemical attacks. Tests were carried out in the industry at 1100˚C, and the results were satisfactory.

Refractory, Foundry Activity, Compressive Strength, Chemical Resistance

Barry, K. , Sawadogo, Y. , Sawadogo, M. , Sorgho, B. , Seynou, M. , Guel, B. , Blanchart, P. and Zerbo, L. (2024) Manufacture of Industrial Refractory Crucibles Based on Clays from Burkina Faso. Journal of Minerals and Materials Characterization and Engineering, 12, 79-90. doi: 10.4236/jmmce.2024.122006.