The clay rocks properties for the production of the ceramic bricks

This paper aimed to study the properties of clay rocks in terms of chemical, mineralogical, and granulometric compositions during the pre- and post-firing processes as compared to regulatory documents. Moreover, the electrochemical interactions between the clay rocks elements have been evaluated due to the electrophoresis of its core. The results revealed that the properties of the investigated clay rocks agreed well with the requirements of regulatory documents and it is suitable to produce the ceramic bricks by plastic and dry methods. However, the calculated energy charges of clay oxides prove that the chemical composition of clay rocks will provide an unstable and irritable brick system due to the negative charges being 1.6 times greater than the positive charges. To modify the composition, it is suggested to insert feedstock or additives containing 2.3 times more positive charge selected on the basis of the structure of s-, p- and d-electrons. Further studies are recommended to take into account the thermodynamic characteristics of the feedstock to monitor the firing process, reduce energy costs and improve the quality of bricks.