Clay as the main ingredient of making ceramic objects found in almost all parts of the world, however, the clay each other have different properties. However, the clay can be used for the manufacture of ceramic objects must meet certain requirements.
One of the properties of clay needed to be made of ceramic objects is to have a working power that allows the clay to be formed and to be able to maintain its shape ceramic objects through the heating process (combustion). Clay (clay) is a plastic material that can be turned into a hard and resistant to water after experiencing the process of drying and burning.
There are several types of clay that can be directly used for manufacturing ceramic objects, while others must first be purified or to be mixed with other materials that can be used to make ceramic objects. Examples of clay that can be used directly without mixing with other ingredients is Earthenware and stoneware clay, porcelain medium soil types must be mixed with other plastic materials (such as: ballclay or bentonite) for easy set up.
Clay and inorganic non-metallic minerals are natural products which are raw materials for making ceramic objects such as: the food and beverage, building materials, refractory materials, electronic equipment, art, crafts and so on. Without these natural ingredients may not be made of ceramic products.
Clay Formation in Natural
Almost all clay in Indonesia called “clay”. Clay is a natural product, which is the result of weathering of the earth’s crust is composed mostly of rock feldspatik, such as granite and igneous rocks. Before the move, pure clay mineral that is found in hot and dense rock which then dissolves.
Soluble rock is no longer rock hard as the original but has been turned into soft rock and decomposed and discolored water due to drift. The results of these events form fine particles and most moved by the power of water, wind and glaciers to a lower place and away from the host rock with a particle size that is almost the same, while others remain in the location where the host rock is located.
Natural clay produces a continuous basis, so it is not surprising that clay is everywhere and there are very large numbers. Because the number is very large, it is certain humans would not be able to spend it. Indeed the form of the earth’s surface is always changing, the mountains, valleys, rivers, continents, islands and so are not in an instant, but it takes millions of years.
Natural clay soil most mummies still contain grains and ingredients free of sand or dust. Generally, these additional elements consist of quartz, feldspar, iron and so there is also an organic element Iainnya determine various properties of clay and its use for certain purposes. Some general properties of the clay is nature to disintegrate in water, the color before and after burned, the plastic before burned, in the dry state hard, dense and strong after being burned.
Formation meneral-Earth Minerals Skin
The surface of the earth we live in today is the result of cooling of the earth’s crust that covers the inside of the earth is still very hot (magma). When the earth is still in a period of melting, heavy materials such as metallic elements tend to sink to the deepest level. Because the deposition process, the chemical composition of the earth’s crust in all parts of the uniform approach. The more the earth cools, the top layer of skin called the earth will solidify and harden.