CLAY PRODUCTS

Credit to:
Shamjith Km
shamjithkeyem@gmail.co
m
 Clay Products
Clay Products
2
Ceramics Potter’s art
(‘Keramos’-Greek) Articles made by the potter

Clay products Refractories Glass

 Bricks
Porcelain

Tiles

Clay
products
Stoneware

Terra-cotta

Earthenware
 Bricks
Obtained by moulding clay
in rectangular blocks
of uniform size
and then by drying and burning.
Composition of brick earth:
Chief constituent
1 Alumina 20-30 % imparts plasticity
Excess – shrinkage and warping
Prevent cracking, shrinking & warping
2 Silica 50-60 % Imparts uniform shape to bricks
Durability of bricks depends mainly
Prevents shrinkage
3 Lime < 5% Excess – lime melts and shape losts
Helps lime to fuse sand
4 Iron Oxide 5-6 % Imparts red colour
Excess – blackish, less - yellowish
Imparts yellow tint
5 Magnesia Small quantities Reduce shrinkage
Excess – decay of bricks
 Harmful ingredients in brick earth

Alkalis – deform and twist brick

Lime – on heating converted into quick lime – brittle crumbles

Iron pyrites

Pebbles

Vegetation and organic matter

 Unsoiling - Removing top 20 cm clay layer
Digging - Impurities, trees, etc are removed
- Manually or using power
Operations Cleaning excavators
involved
Manufacturing of bricks

Weathering - Roots, pebbles, lime, organic

1.Preparation of clay matter
Blending
- Softening clay by adding little
Tempering or pugging water and exposing to
atmosphere
Hand moulding - Tests for suitability
2. Moulding Machine moulding
- Kneading by adding water to get
a Homogenous mass & reqd
plasticity
Natural
3. Drying
Artificia

l
4. Burning
Clamp burning
Pug mil
 2. Moulding

Hand moulding Machine moulding

Classification: • Clay placed in the machine

1. Ground moulded bricks • it comes out through the
2. Table moulded bricks opening under pressure.

• It is cut to bricks by steel

wires fixed into frames.

• Rectangular boxes of wood or steel

• Open at top and bottom

Classification:
1. Plastic clay machines
2. Dry clay machines
 3. Drying

Natural Drying Artificial Drying

• To avoid cracks and distortion • To avoid cracks and distortion

• In a drying yard • Drying by tunnels usually

1200C about 1 to 3 days
• Good circulation of air
• Machine arrangements

Wet mix contain

7-30 % moisture
 4. Burning

Clamp burning Kiln burning

Intermittent Continuous
kilns kilns

1. Load
2. Fire
3. Cool
4. Unload
Clamp burning
• Trapezoidal shape
• End raised at 150 from ground level
• Brick wall in mud at short end
• Alternate layers of raw bricks and fuels.
• Fuels - grass, cow dung, wood
• Air circulation spaces provided
• Total height of clamp = 3-4 m

• Plastered with mud on sides and top,

filled with earth to prevent the escape of
heat
• Burning Period = 1-2 months
• Cooling period = 1-2 months
• Burnt bricks are taken out from the
clamp
Advantages
• Tough and strong bricks burning and cooling are gradual
• Cheap and economical
• No skilled labour and supervision required
• Saving of clamps fuel

Disadvantages
• Bricks are not of required shape
• It is very slow process
• It is not possible to regulate fire in a clamp
• Quality of brick is not uniform
Kiln burning
 Kiln burning • A kiln is a large oven to burn bricks
• 2-3 brick row
• Trolleys used for movement of bricks
Intermittent kilns
• Loading of kiln with raw bricks
• Each door is built up with dry bricks and
are covered with mud or clay

• Fire period = 48 to 60 hours

• Cool period = 12 days

• Bricks are then taken out

• Same procedure is repeated for the next

burning
Advantages of kiln burning

• Bricks are evenly burnt

• Performance of this kiln is better

• Suitable for burning of structural clay tiles, terra cota close control of
heat
 Continous kilns

Bull’s trench kiln Hoffman’s kiln Tunnel kiln

• Rectangular, circular or oval • Also called flame kiln • Form of a tunnel

• Trench excavated in ground • Plan – circular shape • Straight, circular or oval

• Widely used kiln in India • Permanent roof provided

• Trolley transportation
• Function in Rainy season also
• Large scale - economical
Comparison of clamp and kiln burning
Clamp burning Kiln burning
1 Capacity 2000 - 100000 Avg = 25000
2 Cost of fuel Low – grass, cow dung, wood High - coal
3 Initial cost Less More – Permanent structure
4 Quality Good = 60 % Good = 90 %
5 Fire regulation Not possible to control Possible
6 Skilled supervision No Yes
7 Structure Temporary Permanent
8 Suitability Small scale Large scale
9 Burning time 1-2 months 2-3 days
10 Cooling time 1-2 months 12 days
 BIS specifications of bricks
(Classification)

Burnt bricks
Unburnt bricks

• Sun dried bricks • Ringing sound

First class
• For good and permanent works
• Used only in the
constructions of • Rough and slightly irregular
Second class
temporary and cheap • Brick work + plastering works
structures
• Bad ringing sound
Third class
• Heavy rains - X • Unimp and temp structures

Fouth class • over burnt bricks with irregular

shape and dark colour
Characteristics of good brick

1. Free from cracks and have sharp edges

2. Uniform shape and size
3. Should give clear ringing sound when struck each other
4. Compact and free from voids
5. Bricks should not absorb water when soaked for 24
hours • 1st class max = 20 percent by weight
• 2nd class max = 22 percent by weight
Characteristics of good brick

6. No impression when scratched

7. Low thermal conductivity
8. When fall from 1 m height should not break
9. Crushing strength > 55 kg/cm2
10. Sound proof
 Bricks
Porcelain

Tiles

Clay
products
Stoneware

Terra-cotta

Earthenware
 Tiles
Thin slabs of bricks which are burnt in kilns
Thinner than bricks ⸫ handle carefully
Bricks may be glazed or unglazed
They are incombustible in nature
Tiles are unaffected under light
 Manufacture of tiles

1 Preparation of clay Fine clay is used

2 Moulding Clay is pressed in Pattern/Shapes

Drying under a shade prevents warping

3 Drying and cracking of tiles due to rain and sun

4 Sialkot kiln
Burning
Characteristics of a good tile
1 Free from cracks and bends
2 Regular in shape and size
3 Well burnt, hard and durable
4 Gives clear ringing sound when struck with hand
5 Fit properly when placed in position

6 Uniform colour and compact structure

 Types of tiles
Based on application Material & Manufacture

1. Roofing tiles 1. Ceramic tiles

a) Earthenware tiles
2. Flooring tiles b) Terracotta and faience
3. Wall tiles c) Fully vitrified tiles
d) Glazed tiles
4. Partition tiles e) Stoneware Tile
5. Pavement tiles 2. Porcelain tiles
3. Mosaic tiles
6. Drain tiles 4. Natural stone tiles
1. Roofing tiles Types of roofing tiles
To keep out rain
Shelter 1 Allahabad tiles
Made of clay/slate 2 Corrugated tiles
Modern materials : 3 Flat tiles
concrete and plastic
4
Eg: Flat tile Manglore tiles Double channeled
Basel Mission
Eg: Flat tile
Pan tiles Manglore Pattern
5
Pot tiles
5
Semi-circular
2. Floor tiles 3. Wall tiles 4. Drain tiles
Used for flooring works
Interior and exterior Drain water through it
Flat in shape walls Tiles with holes
Decoration purpose
Made of ceramic, stone, Porous
or glass
Toilets
Available in various Avoids flooding of water
textures
 5. Partition tiles 6. Pavement tiles
Used for partition of spaces in a room Also called as inter-locks
Thinner partitions Used as pavements
Provision for drainage
Sub divide areas into room
 1. Ceramic tiles
Clay, sand, and other natural substances.
Commonly used in residential buildings
Mainly used in interior walls and floors

Ceramic coating

Clay
 2. Porcelain tiles
A type of ceramic tiles
Clay grains used are finer than ceramic tiles

Mainly used in interior walls and floors

Fired at higher temperature than ceramic tiles

Denser, less porous and more resistant to
moisture and stains than ceramic tiles
Suitable for both indoor and outdoor works
Harder, but low water absorption
 Vitrified tiles Glazed tiles
Ceramic tile with very low porosity Liquid glass coating of
thickness 0.1 - 0.2 mm
Clay + quartz + feldspar + silica
Stain resistant
Alternative to marble and granite
flooring Easy to clean

Ceramic material in full thickness Fade

resistance

Ceramic coating

Clay Vitrified tiles

 3. Terra-cotta
Terra – “earth”, cotta – “based”
Also called as “Baked earth”

Clay product made by careful burning

A kind of earthware which is soft and porous
High Alumina and iron oxide content
Less proportion of sand and lime
 Manufacture of terra-cotta

1 Preparation of clay Crushed pottery used

2 Moulding Zinc + Plaster of paris

3 Drying

4 Muffle furnace
Burning
 Varieties of terra-cotta
1. Porous terra-cotta
Wood powder/saw dust added
Fire and sound proof

2. Polished (fine) terra-cotta

Also known as fine terra-cotta or Faience
Ornamental purpose

Heating at 650oC Heating at 1200oC

terra-cotta Immerse in Top surface glazed
Biscuiting Salt/lead solution
glazing compounds
 Earthenware
Ware means articles
Clay + Sand + Crushed pottery
Generally soft and porous
Clay burnt at low temperature and cooled slowly
Terra-cotta is a kind of earthenware
Uses: Ordinary drain pipe, pottery, vessels
 Stoneware
Clay burnt at high temperature and cooled slowly
Generally Hard and non-porous
Can easily clean

Uses: Sanitary appliances, closets, wash basins, pipes

Comparison of Earthenware and Stoneware

Attribute Earthenware Stoneware

Temperature of
low high
baking
Cooling Slowly Slowly

Porosity Porous Non-porous

Hardness Soft Hard

Durable Less More

Expense Less More

Porcelain (Whiteware)
Fine earthenware – white and semi transparent
Clay + felspar + Quartz + minerals
Hard, brittle and non-porous
Uses: Sanitarywares, electric insulators, storage vessels
Two types
1. Low voltage porcelain – prepared by dry process
2. High Voltage porcelain – prepared by wet process