Harmful substances in brick earth

Harmful substances in brick earth

Harmful substances in brick earth

The harmful substances present in the brick earth have been explained below

LIME:

When a desirable amount of lime is present in the clay, it results in good bricks, but if in excess, it changes the colour of the brick from red to yellow. When lime is present in lumps, it absorbs moisture, swells and causes disintegration of the bricks. Therefore, lime should be present in finely divided state and lumps, if any, should be removed in the beginning itself.

PEBBLES AND GRAVELS:

Pebbles and Gravels do not allow the clay to be mixed thoroughly and spoil the appearance of the brick. Bricks with pebbles and gravels may crack while working.

IRON PYRITES:

This tends to oxidize and decompose the brick during burning. The brick may split into pieces. Pyrites discolourise the bricks.

ALKALIS:

These form less than 10 per cent of the raw clay, are of great value as fluxes, especially when combined with silicates of alumina. These are mainly in the form of soda or potash. However, when present in excess, alkali makes the clay unsuitable for bricks. They melt the clay on burning and make the bricks unsymmetrical. When bricks come in contact with moisture, water is absorbed and the alkalis crystallize. On drying, the moisture evaporates, leaving behind grey or white powder deposits on the brick which spoil the appearance.

ORGANIC MATTER:

On burning green bricks, the organic matter gets charred and leave pores making the bricks porous; the water absorption is increased and the strength is reduced.

CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS:

Present in the form of bituminous matter or carbon greatly affects the color of raw clay. Unless proper precaution is taken to effect complete removal of such matter by oxidation, the brick is likely to have a black core.

SULPHUR:

Sulphur is usually found in clay as the sulphate of calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium or iron, or as iron sulphide. Generally, the proportion is small. If, however, there is carbon in the clay and insufficient time is given during burning for proper oxidation of carbon and sulphur, the latter will cause the formation of a spongy, swollen structure in the brick and the brick will be discolored by white blotches.



WATER:

A large proportion of free water generally causes clay to shrink considerably during drying, whereas combined water causes shrinkage during burning. The use of water containing small quantities of magnesium or calcium carbonates, together with a sulphurous fuel often causes similar effects as those by sulphur.

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