Abstract:

 In this paper, the physico-chemical characterization of clay from Panruti  have been studied for possible utilization in various industrial application. The clay had a specific gravity of 2.6, linear shrinkage of 4.16%, bulk density of 2.34 g/cm3, porosity of 20.22%. A cold  crushing  strength  of  17.51 MN/m2  was obtained  with  modulus  of  rupture  of  2.8 MN/m2.  The thermal shock resistance not exceed 30 cycles and the refractoriness was 1666˚C. The sample was analyzed for its chemical compositions, and it was revealed that it contained 31.70 %.of alumina (Al2O3), 51.58 % of silica (SiO2) and iron impurities (Fe2O3) of 2.17 %. The evaluation of the industrial potential of the studied clays based on their physical and chemical characteristics revealed that they are suitable for refractory application. Suitable processing would be compulsory if they are to meet the requirements for other industrial application such as ceramics, rubber, paper, paint, cosmetics and fertilizer industries.

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