Fundamental physico-chemical and mechanical analysis of different clay types

Abstract

Abstract Clay plays an important role in the most of industries that related with water treatment and food stowage industries. The adequate physic-chemical properties are the most recognized factor for the wide range of applications. The investigation of the fundamental physic-chemical and some mechanical properties of such clay is an insistent task before the selection of some material for some specific role. The analysis of the fundamental physic-chemical and grain size analysis of grain sizes of three different types of selected clays were the aims and objectives of the existing research. Clay samples were collected from three different locations in Sri Lanka and they were stored well. The clay samples were named as anthill clay, brick clay and roof tile clay. Some potion from each clay sample was separated and such separated clay samples were oven dried for 24 hours under the temperature 110°C. Each of dried clay sample was separated again and the separated portions were prepared for the test of moisture content, dry sieve analysis and wet sieve analysis. As the major results of the experiment, especially there were obtained 14.49%, 21.45% and 25.97% moisture contents with respect to anthill, brick and roof tile clays, well-graded particle arrangement in roof tile clay, gap graded particle arrangement in anthill clay and uniformly graded particle arrangement in brick clays. In addition, according to the obtained results there were seen the finer particle weight percentages as 59.90%, 37.36% and 72.38% with respect to anthill clay, brick clay and roof tile clay.