Utilization of black shales in earthenware recipes

Black shales associated with coal seams in Gabal Maghara (Sinai) Egypt, together with other two samples, by-product of the coal beneficiation process namely mudcake and discard were investigated to assess their application in ceramic products. The rheological property and the firing characteristic were also studied. The samples contain appreciable amount of organic matter that proved by IR to be a mixture of aliphatic and aromatic groups. The content of clayey materials ranged between 89 and 94%. The loss on ignition in the mudcake was about 39.79%. The mudcake gave a porosity of about 50% an attempt to produce bricks or pipe for irrigation were carried out.