Author(s): MCINERNEV, R.; STUART, J.; NOVOTNY, E. H.; HAYES, M. H. B.; YOUNG, K.

Summary: China Ball clay has been used for centuries in the tiling and pottery-ware industry. Because it is much finer than the other components in the casting slip the ball clay dominates the particle-particle interactions. Therefore, the ball-clays give the cast its plasticity and cohesion. The clay under investigation is a dark slightly sandy china ball (DSSCB) clay with a high content of finely divided kaolinite and is mixed with other substances for casting. Because of its surface area properties and its associated organic matter it has an important influence on the cohesiveness and visco-elastic properties of the clay bodies used in manufacturing pottery ware. The fine particles in the ball clays have an important influence on the rheology of the wholebody, and stabilise the flow and casting properties of the slip. A number of analytical procedures have been used in this study in order to gain a better understanding of the clays and their associated organic materials. Identification of the amount and nature of the active organic fraction and of its mode of action is important. The work described here is part of a larger project that investigates the chemical properties and compositions of the clay and lignite materials, and the nature of clay-humic complexes and of lignite materials in clay and lignite deposits.

Publication year: 2008

Types of publication: Paper in annals and proceedings

Unit: Embrapa Soils

Keywords: China Ball Clay, NMR, humic, organic fraction