The elementary characterization of anthill clay for composite materials

Abstract

Anthill clay is a distinct soil/clay genre among common soil types because of the extraordinary stockpiling method. The small particles are carried in and erected an anthill by a small creature that it is called as termite. In generally, clay is a conspicuous raw material for industrial applications greatly and the assay of expediencies of anthill clay for advanced material applications were the prospects of the existing research. Carefully collected anthill clay samples were characterized under the physically and chemically using standard procedures and instruments. The mechanical characteristics of prepared bricks from anthill clays under 8000C were investigated. As the major outcomes of the existing investigation of raw clays, there were looked to 5.56 of PH value, 15% of natural moisture content, gap graded and symmetrically distributed arrangement of grains, 60% finer particle percentage (<0.075mm) according to the weight, composition of Fe, Ti, Ba and K based compounds including Fe minerals with large sorption capacity for other metals. In addition that 25% of water absorption, 2.62 of bulk specific gravity, 65% of apparent porosity, 21 Mpa compressive strength and 0.4 Mpa splitting tensile strength were observed with respect to the bricks which were prepared from the anthill clay. Based on the behaviors of such anthill clay it should be an influential material in the advanced material manufacturing in the industrial purposes such as the water treatments, rigid materials, catalysts and refractors.