Differences in the production-related properties of the three primary clay minerals kaolinite-illite-montmorillonite (Part 1)

On account of their different crystal structures, the primary clay minerals kaolinite, illite and montmorillonite exhibit different material properties and behaviour in production processes. Owing to the different formation and rearrangement of the strata, often two or three varieties of the respective primary clay minerals are encountered, which differ in their particle size and chemical composition. The results of statistical analyses on a large number of brick raw materials and bodies are presented in two parts, which reveal the differences in the shaping, drying and firing behaviour of the clay mineral varieties and document these numerically.

1 Introduction

Nanotechnology and nanopowders have become very popular terms today. There is, however, one raw material that has been used for thousands of years and whose special properties are derived specifically from its particles on nano-metre scale, that is clay. The German word for clay is “Ton”, it comes from the old German ”thahon” (as in “Tonerde” meaning alumina, and “Lehm” meaning mud, originally “tight” in the sense of “impermeable”) [1].

The outstanding properties of clay are its high plasticity, which when the clay is wet enables the body to be easily shaped, and the formation of...

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