A Study on Mineralogical and Physical Properties of Purmandal Clay Under Electron Microscope

Abstract

Clay is a natural, earthy, fine-grained material made up primarily of clay minerals, a group of crystalline hydrous silicate minerals. Clay minerals are mostly made up of silica, alumina, and water, although they can also contain iron, alkalies, and alkaline earths in massive quantities. Clays are normally tiny crystalline particles composed of hydrous aluminium silicates, with sodium and calcium present in different amounts as essential constituents. Clays are normally formed by weathering of pre existing parent rocks with mineral matter, so they are secondary minerals. Clay minerals which are the hydrous silicates of aluminium with Fe and Mg are formed by the weathering of pre existing rocks and this process of formation of clay and its associated minerals involves complex chemical reactions that involves decomposition and alteration of parent rock forming into secondary clay minerals. The nature or type of clay minerals that are formed from the rock forming minerals depends upon the original composition of rock forming minerals and the conditions under which weathering took place