Clay Minerals and

Engineering
Group Members
•Abulele Marwanqa
•Lebohang Sheane
•Mamadile Mile
•Kananelo Makaqa
•Mbali Hlongwane
•Kagoentle Mashala

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 Content
o What are clay minerals?
o How do they form?
o Properties of Clays.
o How do they affect construction?
o Real life examples.
o Applications
o Summary.

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 What are clay minerals?
o Clay minerals are hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, they consist
of layered structures containing aluminium, silicon, oxygen, and
water molecules (Guggenheim et al., 2006).
o They are described by presence of two-dimensional sheets,
tetrahedral (SiO4) and octahedral (Al2O3).
o The small size and their distinctive crystal structure make clay
minerals very special with their unique properties including high
cation exchange capacity, swelling behaviour, specific surface area,
adsorption capacity, etc.

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 How do clay minerals form?
o Clay minerals occur under a limited range of geologic
conditions.
o Most clay minerals form where rocks are in contact with
water, air or steam. (Velde, 1995)
o Environments of formation include, weathering of parent
rocks, sedimentary basins, pedogenesis and hydrothermal
alteration.

20XX presentation title 5

 Weathering of parent rocks
o Weathering of rocks that contain minerals like feldspar and
mica is the main source of clay minerals. The original mineral
is broken down into smaller pieces during this process, and
some of its components are also dissolved. A clay-sized
mineral is the end result, and it is moved to a new location
where it might accumulate and form a clay deposit. (Zbigniew
A. Królikowski, 2002).

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A: Chemical B: Physical weathering
Weathering

A: Earth Science., Available at : https://gamesmartz.com/definitions?

definition=5143&chemical-weathering&s=80
B: Lumen Geology., Available at :
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/geo/chapter/reading-mechanical-
weathering/

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 Sedimentary basins
o In lacustrine or marine environments, where they frequently
coexist with other sedimentary elements and organic matter,
clay minerals can also form. Fine particles, including clay
minerals, must settle out of suspension in order to form
sedimentary deposits. (Ralph L. Miller & Andrew D.
Horowitz, 2002).

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Department of Environment and Science, Available
at:
https://wetlandinfo.des.qld.gov.au/wetlands/managem
ent/treatment-systems/for-agriculture/treatment-sys-
nav-page/sediment-basins/

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 Pedogenesis
o The process of pedogenesis, which is the creation and
modification of soils, can also result in the formation of clay
minerals. As rocks weather and erode, they create soils with a
variety of particle sizes, including minerals the size of clay.
Through their interaction with organic matter and other soil
elements, these particles can change even more. (Pamela L.
Sullivan et al., 2016).

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By Marcelo, L., Available at:
https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Schematic-
drawing-of-the-soil-profile_fig3_334545451
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 Hydrothermal Alteration
o Hydrothermal alteration of preexisting rocks can also produce
clay minerals. This process takes place when hot fluids, like
steam or water, react with the host rock's minerals to create
new minerals, including clays. (Albert C. Lee & Stephen
Guggenheim, 1997).

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By Bozana, B., 2016., Available at
:http://superheatedscience.weebly.com/articles/superheated-water-hydrothermal-
vents
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o All of these environments may cause the formation of clay
minerals from preexisting minerals.

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 Properties of clay minerals
o Chemical composition – Clay minerals are primarily composed of
silicon, oxygen, and other various elements (Moore, D. M., &
Reynolds Jr, R. C. 1997).
o Layered structure – Clay minerals have a sheet- structure that
consists of aluminium and silica(SiO2), and octahedral also
tetrahedral sheets. (Brindley, G. W., & Brown, G. 1980).
o Cation exchange capacity (CEC) – Clay minerals have high CEC
which allows them to adsorb and exchange cations with the
surrounding environment, this is a positive property as it influences
soil fertility and prevents contaminant leaching (Sparks, D. L. 2003).

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 Cont.
o Plasticity and cohesiveness – Clay minerals show this property when
mixed with water making them suitable for ceramics.(Grim, R. E. 1968).
o Swelling and shrinkage – Some clay minerals can undergo significant
volume changes when they absorb or release water leading to swelling
and shrinkage behaviour, influencing the engineering sector in a negative
way if used for construction.(Sposito, G. 1984).
o Weathering and erosion resistance – Some clay minerals are often
resistant to weathering and erosion which contributes to their presence in
soils and sediments. (White, A. F., & Brantley, S. L. 2003)

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 How do they affect construction
positively?
o Clay minerals such as montmorillonite, possess high cohesion and
plasticity when mixed with water. This property allows clays to be easily
molded and shaped, making it suitable for the construction of bricks and
tiles.
o Some clay minerals like bentonite have low permeability. This property
is valuable for clay minerals such as montmorillonite , possess high
cohesion and constructing barriers in landfills and containment areas to
prevent water seepage.
o Incorporating clay minerals into construction materials can enhance their
compressive and flexural strength. This can lead to more durable and
resilient structures.

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 Cont.
o There are also clay minerals that have a low shrink-swell capacity
like kaolinite, which reduces the potential for soil movement and
foundation damage.
o Proper engineering and site-specific considerations are essential to
harness the benefits of clay minerals effectively because in as much
as they might have several positive aspects, they can also pose
challenges in construction.

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 How do they affect construction
negatively?
o The smectite group of clays has a variety of properties that factor
how they behave.
o One specific example related to the behaviour it has on
construction is the high cation exchange capacity.
o Ability to absorb liquids.
o This causes the minerals to continuously expand and contract with
different seasons.

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Real-life examples of the use of clay
minerals.
o Clays have an impact on the engineering behaviour of soil and rock
as building materials and as foundation materials.
o A real life example is the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy which is
built on unstable clay foundation.
o The leaning was caused by the uneven settling of the building’s
foundations in the soft ground.

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 Applications
o Although clay minerals have a negative impact in engineering,
they are good industrial minerals.
o The application of clay minerals is mainly related to their
characteristics, which include their composition and structure.
o Examples
- Illite is used for the production of ceramics.
- vermiculite is used as a fertilizer.

20XX presentation title 24

 Summary
o Clay minerals are a vital group of minerals that possess distinct
characteristics and are abundantly available, making them useful in
various industrial processes.
o Their composition formation and properties make them useful in a wide
range of applications.
o For example, the ceramics industry heavily depends on clay minerals to
achieve desired properties in ceramic bodies (Kaolinite is used to provide
strength and whiteness to porcelain products) (Valaskova, 2015).
o Understanding the unique characteristics of clays allows us to harness
their potential and utilize them effectively in various fields.

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Thank You.
 Reference list
o Brindley, G. W., & Brown, G. (1980). Crystal structures of clay minerals and their X-ray identification.
Mineralogical Society Monograph
o Clays and Clay Minerals, 54(6), 761-772..
o Grim, R. E. (1968). Clay mineralogy. McGraw-Hill.
o Guggenheim, S., Adams, J. M., & Bain, D. C. (2006). Summary of recommendations of nomenclature
committees relevant to clay mineralogy: report of the Association International pour l'Etude des Argiles
(AIPEA) nomenclature committee for 2006.
o Królikowski, Zbigniew A,. (2002). Clay mineral formation and transformation during weathering. Clay
Minerals, 37(2), 289-309.
o Lee, Albert C. and Guggenheim, Stephen., (1997)., Hydrothermal alteration of biotite to celadonite and
clinoptilolite. Clays and Clay Minerals., 45(3)., 377-391.
o Miller, Ralph L. and Horowitz, Andrew D., (2002) Diagenesis of clay minerals in sedimentary rocks.,
Earth-Science Reviews., 59(1-4)., 365–432.
o Moore, D. M., & Reynolds Jr, R. C. (1997). X-ray diffraction and the identification and analysis of clay
minerals. Oxford University Press.

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 Cont.
o Sparks, D. L. (2003). Environmental soil chemistry. Academic Press.
o Sposito. G. (1984). The surface chemistry of soils. Oxford University
Press.
o Valaskova, M., 2015. Clays, clay minerals and cordierite ceramics.
Ceramics – Silikáty , 59(4), pp. 331-340.
o Velde, B. (1995). Origin and mineralogy of clays. Springer Science
& Business Media.
o White, A. F., & Brantley, S. L. (2003). The effect of time on the
weathering of silicate minerals: Why do weathering rates differ in the
laboratory and field? Chemical

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