Prospecting And Testing Of Clay For Schools Offering Ceramics In The Sekondi- Takoradi Metropolis, Ghana

Abstract

Clay, which is a natural mineral in the earth remains the major ceramic raw material since time immemorial.  With the introduction of the new Educational Reform in 1987, many second and some third cycle institutions have taken ceramics as one of the vocational subjects in Ghana.  Clay, which is the main raw material, is difficult to come by within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.  This has somehow affected the performance of institutions offering ceramics including St. John’s Senior High School, Ahantaman Senior High School and Takoradi Polytechnic, all in the Metropolis.  To find a solution to this problem, the researchers had made effort to prospect and test for varieties of clay from areas closer to the metropolis.  Literature related to the topic had been reviewed. The experimental research method was employed. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the proposed clay deposits in the selected districts.  All the general procedures and processes used in prospecting and testing for clay were followed.  For example, water of plasticity test, presence of lime test, dry shrinkage test, fired shrinkage test and porosity test.  From the findings, it was realized that these clay deposits could be very useful to schools offering ceramics in the Metropolis.  It was recommended among other things that institutions offering ceramics should patronize clay from these areas, and the district assemblies should try to construct roads to the various clay sites, so as to make them motorable to people who might need the clay.

Keywords: Clay, Prospecting, Plasticity, Testing, Shrinkage