Technological characterization of Colombian clay during the stages of the production process

Abstract

Clays are of great importance at the industrial level because they can be used to make masonry products such as blocks, roof tiles, bricks, and tiles, among others. Currently, many companies in the ceramic sector get a lot of waste due to the lack of technical analysis of the raw material to forecast the behavior of the ceramic mixtures and to improve the quality of the final product. In this paper, the physical and chemical characterization of the clay used in one of the companies dedicated to the manufacture of masonry products for construction in Ocaña, Norte de Santander, Colombia was conducted. The development of the investigation was achieved by means of the execution of physical and chemical tests to the sample of selected clay from different points of the production process with which the granulometry, index of plasticity and the mineralogical composition were determined. The results obtained show that the clays currently used by the company are at a low level for masonry products for construction. This is why the addition of other clays is considered, with which an optimum mixture is achieved with which can meet the requirements of the current regulations in force. It is essential to technologically characterize the clays to optimize the mix and thus avoid defective products. It will obviously improve the company’s environmental and economic resources.