Clay is mainly composed of illite, kaolinite, montmorillonite groups. Although it is abundant in nature, it is very difficult to find pure clay. The substances that make up clay are hydrous aluminum silicates. Each clay group contains different metal oxides or organic compounds. These impurities contained in minerals constitute an interesting field in luminescence and optical studies.
Although there are many studies on clay minerals, each sample shows its own unique characteristics. In this study, clay samples taken from Edirne-Keşan-Erikli Beach, located on the coast of Saros Gulf, were studied. Its crystallographic structure was determined by XRD analysis, its rheological properties and the elements it contained were determined by SEM-EDX analysis, and its structural properties were examined by FT-IR analysis. In optical absorption analysis, strong absorption bands were observed in the UV and Vis regions. In radioluminescence (RL) analysis, the emission spectrum formed by X-ray excitation are discussed. Likewise, in the thermoluminescence (TL) analysis using X-ray as primary excitation, peaks were observed in shallow and deep traps.