Iron removal from red clay using oxalic acid leaching for enhanced ceramic industry applications

This work focused on removing iron with oxalic acid from red clay samples collected from Kapasia Upazila, Gazipur District, Bangladesh. To characterize the red clay, the study employed several techniques: particle size analysis, WDXRF (wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence), AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopy), XRD (X-ray diffraction), TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), and FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy). Additionally, leaching experiments were conducted with varying concentrations of oxalic acid, temperatures and times. After leaching, the red clay composition changed significantly: SiO₂ increased from 53.6 % to 63.13 %, Fe₂O₃ decreased from 17.1 % to 3.64 %, Al₂O₃ remained relatively stable at 18 %-18.22 %, and other oxides showed minor variations. 78.71 % of the iron was removed at optimal leaching conditions (1.0 M oxalic acid, 100 °C, 150 min, and 250 rpm). Mineralogically, the red clay samples are composed of illite, kaolinite, quartz, feldspar, hematite and chlorite. Thermal analysis showed significant weight loss at temperatures between 300 and 600 °C. Ceramic trials were conducted at firing temperatures of 900 °C and 1100 °C to evaluate the mechanical properties of tiles. The results obtained showed significant improvements in red clay quality for ceramics. Being a low-cost and eco-friendly process, this becomes a very prominent alternative to conventional iron removal techniques and helps produce high-quality ceramic tiles, contributing towards economic growth in Bangladesh.