ADDITIONAL WORK LAB REPORT 3

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PLASTICITY
Plasticity is a property of a material to undergo a non reversible change of shape in response to
an applied force. The theory of plasticity, being the section of continuum mechanics, is
concerned with the analysis of stresses and elasto-plastic strain in a body.(1)

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Plastic ceramic raw material
Plastic ceramics raw materials involve any clay material that when mixed with water reveals the
property called plasticity.
Plastic ceramic raw materials are
1. kaolin
2. clay
3. bentonite
Non-plastic ceramic raw material
The large group of non plastic ceramic raw materials include minerals, rocks and artificial
chemicals that when mixed with water is not plastic.(2)
Non plastic ceramic raw materials are
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Feldspar
Quartz
Limestone
aDolomite
Magnesite
Calcium phosphate
talc
Role in manufacturing
Typical raw materials normally used in a ceramic tile are clay, feldspar, pottery stone,
silica sand and talc.(2)

Clay is the fundamental raw material for all ceramic bodies. The function of the clays in the
ceramic tile are as follows

Produce a light colouring during firing

Gives plasticity and binding and mechanical characteristics to the mass and fired tiles
Gives a good density level during firing and good flow properties
In the ceramics tile body especially the porcelain tile, feldspar plays a vital role in achieving the
vitreous nature of the body and the high mechanical resistance of the product at the end of firing
stage.(2)
A part of the non plastic ceramic raw materials acts as a filler, reducing high plasticity or
shrinkage of the body when drying or firing. On the other hand, other raw materials are used for
sintering, fluxing and melting or to increase the refractoriness.
The most impotant component in this group is talc which is used to increase the fusibility,
wollastonite, dolomite, magnesite, nepheline syenite are other minerals that are used to assist the
vitrification process of the body.(2)
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Why clays show plasticity?
Colloid theory: Plasticity is due to a colloid condition of the fine particles or of some part of the
particles which go to make up the clay mass.
It would appear from what has been said that most clays contain both non plastic bodies or
grains, of either crystalline or amorphous character and colloid which appear to at least influence
the plasticity.
Molecular attraction theory: says that plasticity of clay was due to molecular attraction between
the clay particles themselves or between the clay grains and water surrounding them.
Since clay particles are plastic bodies, they have grater attraction of water than non platic grains
such as sand, and that therefor the grains will be surrounded by a thicker film of water than sand
grain would be.
Plasticity is the molecular attraction depending on the chemical constitution of molecules but it
may be improved by addition to the clay of colloid such as ammonia, alum, etc.(3)
Any one of the causes suggested is the sole one, but rather that plasticity is dependent on a
combination of them.
Relationship of particle size and shape with plasticity

The distribution of sizes and the physical characteristics of the fractions were determined to
place the fractions on a comparable basis.
Plasticity, drying shrinkage, and dry strength measurements were made on the fractions. There
was no definite relationship between drying shrinkage and particle size, but in general, the drying
shrinkage increased with decreasing particle size .The drying shrinkage measurements, however,
afforded a means for computing the thickness of water films at the maximum plasticity
developed.
The dry strength increased up to a certain limit in direct relation with increased area of surface or
decreased particle size. The optimum plasticity value, taken as the product of yield and strain,
increased with increasing surface area according to the relation. (4)
Log S=AP+B
Where S is surface available per 100g clay
P is plasticity
A & B are constants.
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Factors depending upon plasticity of clays
Plasticity depend upon:
1. clay particle size
The size of the clay particles has a direct bearing on plasticity. The smallest particle size give the
most plasticity. Particles of the size often packed together as large grains. To break down these
grains into particles and thus achieve full plasticity it is necessary to soak the clay in water and
age it or use a blunger, preferably of the high speed type. The more that is available at any stage
of clay prepration, the more plastic the final clay is likely to be because the water penetrates
between and divides the particles giving more particles of smaller size.
2. true clay content
Whilst it is impossible to use a mesh to separate the different sizes of clay particles. It is
perfectly possible to separate a lot of the non clay particles from clay particles by its use.
3 .moisture content
A plastic clay is one which can hold a high proportion of water before becoming too weak to
retain a shape. The quantity of water which is contained depends largely on the proportions of
fine particles which can support more water content than coarse ones.

4. particle uniformity
Size uniformity of the clay content itself must also help to get closer packing of particles which
will give extra strength.
5. plasticizers
Plasticizers encourage the slipperiness of the existing clay particles or introduce highly plastic
particles to act as a lubricant for the clay and other materials.
6. strength of particle bond
The strength of a clay is vital. There is obviously some strength from friction between clay and
non clay particles, but there is also a strength from the structure created by the clay particles in
plastic state.(5)

Many factors can influence the plasticity of a clay mineral including mineralogy, particle size,
particle shape, organic matter, soluble salts, absorbed ions, and the amount and type of nonclay
minerals present.(6)
Mineralogy of the clay or shale deposit can most easily be determined by x ray diffraction.The
type and proportion of clay minerals present directly influence the amount of iron bearing
minerals in the material.A raw material that is predominantly illite becomes red when fired and
gets hard at relatively low temperatures. Products that could be made from this mineral include
red bricks, drain tile, and building tile.(6)
The presence of kaolinite in a raw material generally results in material that burns light or white
and is hard to fuse. Products made from these clays are light or buff bricks and refractory bricks.
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METHODS TO FIND PLASTICITY OF CLAY
There are several methods for measurement and characterization of the plasticity of a clay body.
The experimental determination,in some cases, is operator dependent, which in turn may produce
different results when different methods are compared. Among these methods, Atterberg ,
Pfefferkorn, stress/strain curves, indentation and rheologicl measurements are the most used
techniques.
State of the art methods
LPB means Low plasticity burnishing has been one of the major innovation in the field of
engineerined surfaces and unprecedented one. LPBed components process combination of
important properties, which are not achievable in other surface enhancement techniques.(7)

Methods of measuring plasticity

Indirect methods
1. Dye absorption test
In this test Ashley assuming that the plasticity of a clay to be inversely proportional to the grain
size, reasoned that the clay with the highest colloidal content would be the most elastic.
2. Methods based on bonding power
In most cases clays of higher plasticity also have high bonding power, but, as is recognized by
ceramist, bonding power is not identicalwith plasticity and is by no means a reliable index to it.
It is therefore not expedient to discuss the several proposed methods based on bonding power
determination.
3. MacMichael torsional viscosimeter
This instrument was first brought forward to determine the so called viscosity of clay slips. The
torsional viscosimeter determines viscosity by means of a torsional balance. It will be shown
latter that clay slips are not liquid but plastic substances.
Direct methods
1. Method of G.E stringer and W.Emery
It is known that plasticity varies with the proportion of water mixed with the clay.
2. Atterberg plasticity method
This method is based upon the varying physical behavior of clays with different water contents.
The range of water content over the workable stage is determined.
3. Emley plasticimeter
This instrument is described in Bureau of standards technologic paper. W. B. Orange used this
instrument for testing clays and lime.
4. Bingham plastometer
In using this instrument the rate of flow through a capillary tube under a definite constant
pressure head is determined. (8)
References
(1) Plasticity and creep of metals
By Andrew Rusinko, Konstantin Rusinko

(2) PROPERTIES OF CERAMIC RAW MATERIALS

BY KONTA.J

(3) Clays, their occurrence, properties and uses

By Heinrich Ries

(4) EFFECT OF PARTICLE SIZE ON PLASTICITY OF KAOLINITE

BY H.WHITTAKER

(5) The potters dictionary of materials and techniques

By Frank Hamer, Janet Hamer

(6) Industrial Minerals and rocks

By Jessica Elzea Koagel

(7) Advance manufacturing technologies

By Amit Jyoti Banerjee

(8) Methods of measuring the plasticity of clays

By F. P . Hall