Clay

Clay is a finely-grained natural rock or soil material that combines one or

more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic
clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable
amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure. Clays are plastic due to their
water content and become hard, brittle and nonplastic upon drying or firing.
Depending on the soil's content in which it is found, clay can appear in various
colours from white to dull grey or brown to deep orange-red.
Clays are soft mineral substances; a product of weathered volcanic ash. Clay is
formed as a result of volcanic activity subjected to environmental influences
(physical and chemical) over a period of time. Clays differ in structure and
composition depending upon the source. Just like there are no two identical
fingerprints, it is impossible to find two identical clays. They come from different
sources, each source with its own unique mineral compositions. Clays consist of
tiny particles that can absorb large amounts of water. As a result, many clays can
expand immensely upon hydration. Clays can absorb minerals and organic
substances, such as metals.
There is an electric charge created between the clay layers, as well as on the
edge of its particles. This makes clays adsorb and absorb heavy and radioactive
metals, free radicals and other unwanted products of metabolic activity.
Each clay type has its own beneficial uses, dependent upon its origin, chemical
composition, and properties. Clay contains some antibacterial properties as well.
Minute particles envelope bacteria and deprive it of nutrition and oxygen. This
property makes clay a natural antibacterial agent.
Modern Uses for Clay
Clays have a well-deserved place in health and beauty routines. Widely used in
spas, clays are mixed with water (geotherapy), mixed with sea or salt lake water,
or minero-medicinal water, and then matured (pelotherapy), or mixed with
paraffin (para- muds).2
In geotherapy and pelotherapy the application form can be face masks,
cataplasms, or mud baths, depending on the body area to be treated, and the
temperature of the clay can be either hot or cold. Mud baths are used in spas
and in beauty, when the mud is applied by submerging part of the body (bathing
the arms, hands, or feet) or the whole body in a bowl or bath filled with a mixture
of clay and water.
Bentonite Clay
A common clay used for skin conditions, as well as spa and beauty treatments is
called Bentonite clay. Bentonite clay was discovered in large amounts in Fort
Benton, near Rock River in Wyoming. Named after a formation there called
Benton Shale, bentonite clay is formed after volcanic ash has weathered and
aged in the presence of water. Bentonite has a strong negative electromagnetic
charge, and when activated by water, it acts like a magnet in and on our bodies,
drawing metals and toxins to it. When mixed with water it swells open like a
sponge, and can absorb 40-50 times its weight. There are a few types of
Bentonite clay which are named after the dominant element in them. There is
sodium bentonite, calcium bentonite, aluminum bentonite, and potassium
bentonite, each with unique benefits.1
Bentonite clay is now used in a variety of homemade skin care products. Some
are made into products such as hair and face masks, homemade re-
mineralization clay toothpastes and tooth powders, baths for drawing heavy
metals away from the body, skin calming lotions, deodorants, soaps, and even
makeup.
Raku clay
This is usually a coarsely grained clay that fires to around 1000C (1830F)
It is made to withstand the shock of firing and cooling very quickly
Raku clay and dug clays are also often used for pit firing, dung firing, grass
firing and other traditional fast-fire techniques
Earthenware clay
Earthenware clay may be a terracotta colour but it is most commonly
available in white
Fires in the range of 1000C to 1150C (1830F to 2100F)
It is available in different particle sizes, from coarse to fine
The fired clay is not always well vitrified and it chips more easily than
stoneware
Pots using earthenware clays and glazes are produced widely in
Mediterranean countries and are associated with white glazed and brightly
decorated ware
Other clay colours commercially available include peach and dark brown
Stoneware clay
This clay is available in a variety of colours, from white through to mustard
yellow, grey and dark brown; it may even have a speckled finish
Fires in the range of 1240C to 1300C (2265F to 2370F)
These clays are often fine to very fine in particle size but some are coarse
and used for wheel-throwing very large pots or for handbuilt or sculptured
pieces
When fired, the clay is very hard and well vitrified
Often the colours of the glazed surfaces are more subdued than those on
earthenware pottery
Porcelain clay
The finest pieces made from this clay are translucent when fired and have
a very fine finish
The extreme fineness of the clay body makes it hard to work and it is not
recommended for beginners
Clay Bricks
Clay is the primary raw material used in the making of genuine brick, so what
people generally refer to as "brick" is clay brick. Clay brick are manufactured
using three basic methods, resulting in three basic types: extruded brick,
machine-molded brick, and handmade brick. Extrusion is the most efficient and
least costly of the three methods, so extruded brick are generally the least
expensive to buy. Handmade brick are made by human hands filling individual
molds, resulting in folds and other brick-face characteristics impossible to create
any other way. Machine molded brick offer similar colors to handmade brick, but
without the same unique character in the individual brick faces. Manufacturers of
some other materials, such as concrete, use the term "brick" to describe some of
their products, but genuine bricks are always made of clay.
Manufacture Process
From piles of dry clay, through the mixing process, the extrusion process, cutting,
trimming, and through to firing.
To produce a clay brick the raw materials are first crushed and ground. Natural
clay minerals, including kaolin and shale, make up the main body of brick. Small
amounts of manganese, barium, and other additives are blended with the clay to
produce different shades, and barium carbonate is used to improve bricks
chemical resistance to the elements.
Then the ingredients are formed using the extrusion method. The pulverized
ingredients are mixed togther with water, passed into a de-airing chamber (which
removes the air to prevent cracking), compacted, and extruded out of a die of the
desired shape.
A wide variety of coating materials and methods are used to produce brick of a
certain color or surface texture such as sand of a glaze.
Once the bricks are formed they are dried to remove excess moisture that might
otherwise cause cracking during the ensuing firing process.
Next, bricks are loaded onto carts and moved into large furnaces called kilns.
The bricks are fired in a high temperature kiln and then cooled.
Firing hardens and strengthens the brick. After firing they are left to cool.
Finally, they are hand graded, stacked, and wrapped on pallets.