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.