Characterization of Brazilian Northeastern plastic clays

Abstract

Plastic clays are one of the main raw materials used in ceramic technology. However, there is a shortage of good quality plastic clays in the world for use in porcelain technology. The aim of this study was to characterize plastic clays from Northeastern Brazil. Chemical and mineralogical composition, particle size distribution, plasticity and green strength of the clays were determined. The analyzed clays were predominantly composed of kaolinite and quartz, and some contained smectite. The amount of iron oxide in the clays was higher than 1.0% and for some of them the values were higher than 3%; the liquid and plastic limits ranged from 22% to 48% and 10% to 32%, respectively. According to characterization data, three plastic clays had potential to be used as alternative ball clay, due to their plasticity and mineralogical characteristics.