Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 191, pt. 1, originally published in 1968
Originally published in 1968 as part of "Short Papers on Research in 1967," Kansas Geological Survey Bulletin 191, part 1, p. 17-19. This is, in general, the original text as published. The information has not been updated.
Kansas clays have been extensively tested for ceramic use. A series of tests to evaluate non-ceramic uses has been instigated and indications are that certain clays or shales may have application as filler or for use as agrichemical carriers.
Over the years a fairly extensive program of testing Kansas clays and shales for ceramic use has been carried on (see bibliography on ceramic use program), but only a few special experiments (see bibliography on non-ceramic use program) have been directed primarily toward observing non-ceramic end-use properties of these resources. Speculation on the possibility of using Kansas clays for parting agents, fillers, diluents, extenders, and as carriers for agrichemicals resulted in our conducting a series of tests aimed toward measuring their properties for these purposes.
The first operation in the testing program is a clay-water slurry preparation, with separation of the suspended material from the sediments that drop out. Electrolytes may or may not be used, depending upon the test series or a particular clay. This treatment is particularly effective on the high-kaolin clays from the Dakota Formation of Kansas, resulting in increased alumina content and occasional lightening of color. Most of the free quartz is removed by this procedure. The flow chart for this process is shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1--Clay beneficiation flow sheet.
The second operation consists of four parts performed on appropriate quantities of the dried suspension as removed during the previously described beneficiation. These four parts consist of (1) the evaluation of the material as a filler by color, rub-out, and bleach tests, (2) suspension capability in water for agri-chemical carrying, and (3) closely associated with (2), the compatibility of the material with agri-chemicals. Figure 2 illustrates the steps in these tests.
Figure 2--Tests for evaluating non-ceramic properties of Kansas clays and shales.
The first series of tests were on (1) a Pleistocene clay having a mixed-layer type of clay mineral (A-3-2), (2) an Upper Cretaceous Kansas shale (Blue Hill Shale) having a mixture of clay minerals, i.e., kaolinite, montmorillonite, and illite in order from greatest to least amount, and (3) a Dakota Formation clay (EL-60-6 and 13) consisting of mostly kaolinite with traces of illite and free quartz.
These tests appear satisfactory for screening clays or shales for a variety of non-ceramic uses. It is planned to examine a number of additional clays and shales by this same series of tests. Bentonites and underclays found in Kansas are being investigated.
The clays tested and described in this report give little indication of any outstanding properties for such non-ceramic uses as fillers or carriers (Tables 1, 2, 3 and 4). The high kaolin clays EL-60-6 and 13 rated the best under these tests.
Table 1--Raw clay beneficiation.
| Sample no. and location |
Raw color |
Hardness | Texture | Minerals in sediment |
Clay recovery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-3-2 Atchison County |
Light greenish yellow | Hard | Platy with yellowish stain | Mostly quartz and hematite | N.D. |
| Blue Hill Shale Member Osborne County |
Light gray, with orangish-yellow coatings | Soft | Platy | Mostly quartz some gypsum and pyrite | N.D. |
| El-60-6 Ellsworth County |
Light gray | Hard | Smooth | Quartz and hematite | 30% |
| El-60-13 Ellsworth County |
Light gray | Hard | Smooth | Quartz and hematite | 28% |
Table 2--Results of tests to evaluate clays as paper, rubber, or other filler material.
| Sample no. |
Results of bleach test |
Results of calcining on color |
Rub-out test, raw material |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 750°F | 1000°F | Color | Gloss | ||
| A-3-2 | Very little color change |
Reddish-brown with gray speckles |
Dark red | Greenish-yellow | Good |
| Blue Hill Shale Member |
No change | Brownish-buff | Dark brownish-buff |
Greenish-yellow | Low |
| El-60-6 | Changed to light gray |
No change in color |
Creamy white |
Gray | Fair |
| El-60-13 | Changed to light gray |
Yellowish-gray | Very light ivory-white |
Dark gray | Fair |
Table 3--Brightness test (reflectometer) on clay El-60-13 from the Dakota Formation.
| Clay condition |
Percent reflectance | |
|---|---|---|
| Blue filter | Amber filter | |
| Unheated | 36.0 | 45.5 |
| Heated to: 750°F | 65.0 | 75.0 |
| Heated to: 1000°F | 68.2 | 78.0 |
| Heated to: 2134°F | 72.0 | 83.0 |
| Heated to: 2300°F | 66.5 | 82.0 |
Table 4--Results of tests to evaluate agri-chemical compatibility and carrying ability of clays.
| Sample no. |
Dye test results* |
Oil adsorption** | Bulk density lbs/cu ft (80 to 100 mesh) |
Suspension test*** |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free falling |
Total | Hard water |
Average water |
Soft water |
|||
| A-3-2 | 2.2% | 15.0% | 40.0% | 83 | 1.6% | 8.8% | 20.8% |
| Blue Hill Shale Member |
1.3 | 12.0 | 37.0 | 84 | 0.5 | 8.8 | 14.4 |
| El-60-6 | 1.5 | 16.0 | 40.0 | 82 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| El-60-13 | 2.2 | 14.0 | 34.0 | 75 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| *Test to measure reactivity of clay with insecticides, maximum percent allowable = 9.0. **Oil absorption figure represents percent kerosene absorbed. ***Percent solids in suspension at the end of 30 minutes. |
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Frye, J. C., Plummer, Norman, Runnels, R. T., and Hladik, W. B., 1949, Ceramic utilization of northern Kansas Pleistocene loesses and fossil soils: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 82, pt. 3, p. 49-124. [available online]
Plummer, Norman, Edmonds, C. S., and Bauleke, M. P., 1963, Test-hole exploration for light-firing clay in Cloud and Ellsworth counties, Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 165, pt. 3, 47 p. [available online]
Plummer, Norman, Bauleke, M. P., and Hladik, W. B., 1960, Dakota Formation refractory clays and silts in Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 142, pt. 1, 52 p. [available online]
Plummer, Norman, and Hladik, W. B., 1948, The manufacture of ceramic railroad ballast and constructional aggregates from Kansas clays and silts: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 76, pt. 4, 60 p.
Plummer, Norman, and Hladik, W. B., 1951, The manufacture of lightweight concrete aggregate from Kansas clays and shales: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 91, 100 p.
Plummer, Norman, and Hladik, W. B., 1953, Experiments in the rapid drying of plastic clay brick: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 102, pt. 6, p. 125-144.
Plummer, Norman, Swineford, Ada, Runnels, R. T., and Schleicher, J. A., 1954, Chemical, petrographic, and ceramic properties of four clays from the Dakota Formation in Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 109, pt. 10, p. 153-216. [available online]
Teetor, Paul, 1921, Clay and shale resources in the vicinity of Arkansas City, Kansas; in, Economic Geology of the Arkansas City District: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 8, p. 38-47. [available online]
Bowdish, F. W., 1953, Experimental separation of iron-bearing minerals from certain Kansas clays: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 102, pt. 4, p. 105-116.
Hill, W. E., Jr., Hladik, W. B., and Waugh, W. N., 1963, Preliminary report on the beneficiation of some Kansas clays and shales: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 165, pt. 5, 12 p. [available online]
Ives, William, and Hill, W. E., Jr., 1960, Occurrence and bleaching properties of some Kansas montmorillonite clays: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 142, pt. 4, p. 149-188. [available online]
Kinney, E. D., 1942, Kansas bentonite: its properties and utilization: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 41, pt. 10, p. 349376. [available online]
Kinney, E. D., 1943, A process for extracting alumina from Kansas clay: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 47, pt. 4, p. 113-136.
Kinney, E. D., 1952, Amenability of certain Kansas clays to alumina extraction by the lime-sinter process: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 96, pt. 7, p. 301-328. [available online]
Plummer, Norman, and Hladik, W. B., 1953, Improvement of some Kansas clays through the control of pH and of soluble sulfates: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 102, pt. 7, p. 145-173.
Plummer, Norman, and Romary, J. F., 1947, Kansas clay, Dakota Formation: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 67, 241 p.
Waugh, W. N., Hill, W. E., Jr., Galle, O. K., and Hladik, W. B., 1964, The amenability of Kansas clays to alumina extraction by hydrochloric acid treatment: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 170, pt. 7, 14 p. [available online]
Kansas Geological Survey, Short Papers on Research in 1967
Placed on web Aug. 16, 2011; originally published in April 1968.
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