Clays for brick manufacturing in Actopan, Hidalgo: Physical, chemical and mineralogical characterization1

Samples of clays from Actopan, Hidalgo employed in brick manufacturing are physical, chemical and mineralogical characterized. Transmitted polarized light microscopy showed a uniform particle size with grain morphology characteristic of euhedral crystals with quartz, feldspars, nontronite, and iron oxides particles. Scanning Electron Microscopy revealed 75 µm to 90 µm wide subhedral structures formed by particles from 2.0 µm to 5.0 µm; and rombohedrales forms 40 µm wide, 70 µm long, constituted of silicon, aluminum, iron, titanium, calcium, minor amounts of potassium, magnesium, and sodium. Minerals such as quartz, albite, cristobalite, calcium and Hematite phases were recognized by X-Ray Diffraction technique. Chemical analysis by atomic emission spectrometry with Inductively Coupled Plasma confirmed this mineralogy composition while laser granulometry method found the same particle size. Grain size analysis determined submicrometric dimensions, and multimodal type curves, that can be interpreted as the mixing of two or more different mineral phases in each sample.

Clays; Mineralogical characterization; Optical microscopy; Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM); X-ray diffraction Brick; Brickmaking; Calcium; Chemical analysis; Clay; Electron microscopy; Grain size and shape; Inductively coupled plasma; Manufacture; Minerals; Optical microscopy; Particle size analysis; Particles (particulate matter); Quartz; Scanning electron microscopy; Silicate minerals; X ray diffraction; Atomic emission spectrometry; Euhedral crystals; Grain morphologies; Grain size analysis; Laser granulometry; Mineralogical characterization; Transmitted polarized light microscopies; X-ray diffraction techniques; Particle size

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