Clay is a type of fine-grained natural soil material containing clay minerals [1] (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolinite, Al 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4). Most pure clay minerals are white or light-coloured, but natural clays show a variety of colours from impurities, such as a reddish or brownish colour from small amounts of iron oxide. [2][3]

Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates (e.g. kaolin, Al 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4), sometimes with variable amounts of iron, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, and other cations found on or near some planetary surfaces.

Clay mineral, any of a group of important hydrous aluminum silicates with a layer (sheetlike) structure and very small particle size. They may contain significant amounts of iron, alkali metals, or alkaline earths.

May 1, 2023 · The 2:1 layer consists of one octahedral layer sandwiched between two tetrahedral layers. The layers are held together by weak electrostatic forces, allowing the layers to slide over one another. The layers can also absorb and exchange cations, making clay minerals important in …

Apr 10, 2025 · Clay, soil particles the diameters of which are less than 0.005 millimeter; also a rock that is composed essentially of clay particles. Rock in this sense includes soils, ceramic clays, clay shales, mudstones, glacial clays, and deep-sea clays. Clay materials are plastic when wet and coherent when dry.

Nov 24, 2023 · Clay minerals typically only exist as very tiny crystals, so most true clays also conform to the fine-grained meaning of the word “clay”. A clay mineral is a finely crystalline sheet silicate with hydroxyl ions, and in some cases with water as part of the structure.

Jun 24, 2021 · Clay minerals such as kaolinite, smectite, chlorite, micas are main components of raw materials of clay and formed in presence of water. A large number of clays used to form the different structure which completely depends on their mining source.

Clays are naturally occurring layered minerals formed by weathering and decomposition of igneous rocks. Details of clay mineralogy can be found in the literature (Grim, 1968; Murray, 2007). Each layer is comprised of fused sheets of octahedra of Al 3+, Mg 2+, or Fe 3+ oxides and sheets of tetrahedra of Si 4+ oxides (Auerbach, 2007).

Clay minerals are the characteristic minerals of the earths near surface environments. They form in soils and sediments, and by diagenetic and hydrothermal alteration of rocks. Water is essential for clay mineral formation and most clay minerals are described as hydrous alumino silicates.

Clay is a naturally occurring material composed primarily of fine-grained minerals, which develop through the weathering and alteration of rocks. It has the unique ability to expand when wet and contract upon drying, making it an essential resource for various applications.