Abstract Clays and clay pots samples from two Southern Nigeria communities, Ara-Ekiti and Kono-Boue were studied to ascertain their mineralogical content and physicochemical parameters. The cation exchange capacity (CEC)were12.06, 5.97, 4.88 and 5.44 Cmol/Kg; bulk density, were 0.94, 1.20, 0.2 and 1.00 g/cm3, organic matter were 8.88, 3.29, 0.74 and 1.48% for Ara-Ekiti clay (AER), Kono-Boue clay (KBR), Ara-Ekiti clay pot (AEP) and Kono-Boue clay pot (KBP) respectively. The percentages of silt, clay and sand were 12.40, 30.00 and 57.60% for AER; 17.40, 24.00 and 58.60% for KBR; 9.40, 14.00 and 76.60% for AEP and 7.40, 12.00 and 80.60% for KBP. The mineralogical content of the clays and clay pots were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument. The mineralogy of AER and KBR by XRD analysis showed the presence of kaolinite, quartz, berthierine and almandine while for AEP and KBP XRD results showed the presence of microcline, kaolinite and quartz. The resultant differences in the mineralogy of the clays from the two communities might have resulted due to geological and anthropogenic factors, while the differences between the clays and the clay pots were due to the firing temperature during the clay pots production processes.
Keywords clay, clay pots, mineralogy, X-ray diffractogram, organic matter, cation exchange capacity.