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Mineralogy of ten British brick clays

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 March 2018

I. L. Freeman*
Affiliation:
Building Research Station, Garston, Wartford, Herts
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Abstract

Ten raw materials, typical of those used by the majority of British manufacturers of structural clayware, are shown to cover a wide range of mineralogical composition. Kaolin, mica minerals and quartz are always present, though their relative percentages vary widely. Other minerals which may be present in more than trace amounts, are montmorillonite, dolomite, calcite, sepiolite and chlorite. The correlation between the mineralogy of a raw material and its physical characteristics is reasonably good; the presence of montmorillonite, in particular, can have a marked effect. The importance, however, of the degree of compaction of the raw material (largely a function of geological age) is emphasized. Variations in clay mineralogy appear to affect firing behaviour less than variations in the content of alkaline earths, where present.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1964

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