The Experience of Cuba TRC on the Survey of Kaolinitic Clay Deposits as Source of SCMs—Main Outcomes and Learned Lessons

Kaolinitic clays are among the most abundant source of highly reactive pozzolans and constitute a strategic mineral resource for the development of cements with high clinker replacement and reduced environmental impact. However, despite its abundance, suitable kaolinitic clay deposits are frequently uncharted or not properly identified, due partially to the absence of selection criteria and to the relatively high mineralogical complexity of kaolinitic clays. In this paper, the main findings in the accumulated experience of Cuba Technical Regional Center in the search and assessment of kaolinitic clay deposits are summarized. Through the study of selected samples from several kaolinitic clay deposits of different geologic origins, the relationship between chemical and mineralogical composition, and potentialities as a source of highly reactive SCMs are established, and experience-based guidelines for the preliminary assessment of kaolinitic clay deposits as a source of SCMs are proposed.