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Investigation Of The Effect Of Compression And Firing On Clay Samples From Ekiti

State South Western, Nigeria.

Olawale. G. Olowomofe
Physics Department, Nigerian Defence Academy, P.M.B 2109, Kaduna. Nigeria.

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Abstract

Using the Atterberg scale, liquid limit activity of clay is found to be between 0.75 and 1.25 which is acceptable for structural material in engineering, This has not been effective like lead in shielding ionizing radiation due to its brittleness. Clay samples used mainly for building construction and pot making in Ara Ijero, Ire, Orin and Isan of Ekiti State South Western Nigeria were investigated so as to know their effectiveness as radiation shielding material. The samples was grinded into powder, weighed and formed into paste before compressing it into bricks. Pressures of 875Nm-2, 1750Nm-2, 2625Nm-2, 3500Nm-2, and
4375Nm-2, was used in compression for thicknesses of 1.0cm, 1.5cm, 2.0cm, 2.5cm, 3.0cm
and 3.5cm. It was then fired at a temperature of 1000oC and then re-weighed.
The result obtained shows that has the pressure and thicknesses of compression increases for the same weight before firing, the corresponding weight decreases significantly after firing with clay from ire ekiti showing significant decrease in weight after firing than other clay.

Keywords : Atterberg scale, Ionizing radiation, compression, firing, shielding, weight, thickness and pressure.

INTRODUCTION

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From prehistoric times, clay has been indispensable in architectures, in industry and in agriculture. Thousands of years BCE the cuneiform script was written on clay tablets with a blunt reed called a stylus (Ehlers, et al 1982). Clay is used as a building material, it is used in the form of brick, either sun- dried or fired. Clays are also of great industrial importance e.g. in the manufacture of tile for wall and floor coverings, and of pipe for drainage and sewage. The less absorbent bentonites are used chiefly in the oil industry, e.g. as filtering and deodorizing agents in the refining of petroleum (Grim, 1986). Clay is also of high domestic importance, e.g. in the manufacture of cooking pots and other cooking utensils. Clay is a naturally occurring material, composed of primarily of fine grained minerals which show plasticity through a variable range of water content, and which can be hardened when dried or fired. Clay deposits are mostly composed of clay minerals (phyllosilicates minerals), minerals which impact plasticity may also be a part of clay (Guggenheim et al., 1995). Clay or concrete material has been discovered to be effective as shielding material for ionizing radiations.
Compressive strength is a mechanical property with two important reasons. Firstly a high compressive material is used to improve properties like flexure and abrasion (Bukar, 1992). Secondly compressive strength decreases with increasing porosity but can be influenced by clay composition and firing, (Bukar, 1992). Compressive testing is a method for assessing the ability of a material to withstand compressive loads. This test is commonly used as a simple measure of workability of material in service. Material behave differently in compression than they do in tension so it may be important to perform mechanical tests which simulate the condition the material will experience in actual use. Compression testing is typically carried out on the following material plastics, foams, rock, concretes and asphalt (Bukar, 1992).
Earthenware type of clay reaches maturing or vitrifying temperature between 1000oC and
1180oC. This is the point at which its maximum fired strength and compactness resulting from its progressive fusion during firing is reached.( lisa Besozzi, 2008). Below this temperature the body will be weak and conversely if a clay body is fired beyond its maturing temperature range then faults can occur such as warping, bloating, collapsing or eventual transformation to a molten state. .( lisa Besozzi, 2008).

MATERIALS AND METHOD

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3.1 Sample collection

Clay sample were collected from four major location in Ekiti State (i) Ara Ijero Ekiti (sample B) where the clay is used in pots making (ii) Ire Ekiti (sample B) where the clay is predominantly used for block making and consequently a fancy block factory was sited at the location, and (iii) Orin Ekiti (sample C) where we have red clay deposit mostly used for building construction. Isan Ekiti (sample D) where clay is used chiefly for pot making.
Samples were wrapped separately with a polythene bag to avoid contamination with other soil samples, this is to maintain the properties and identity of the sample at all stages of sample preparation.

3.2 Apparatus

The apparatus used includes clay soil samples, a metallic cylinders (of diameter
2.7cm), AC Hydraulics (compressor) of capacity , 16 tons, Mettler weighing device (Maximum weight =310g, Minimum weight = 0.5g, 0.01g, deionized water , oven (at 110oC ) Electrical furnace (at 1000oC), and Meter rule.

3.3 Experimental procedure for compression and firing

This experiment was set up at the ceramics department of the federal institute of industrial research, oshodi lagos (FIIRO). Firstly deionized water was obtained and was used to mix the soil sample to form a paste. This was done in a dry container and was measured accordingly as shown in table 4.1. the measured soil samples were poured into the metallic cylinders ,one after the other, and were compressed by the Hydraulics to different thicknesses at different pressures. The compressed samples were allowed to air dry for a day before being transferred to the oven which is at 110oC. The samples were allowed to oven dry for a day after which they were fired at 1000oC in a blast furnace. These set of samples were reweighed

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after firing for the values of weight W3 (g). The samples were also coded just after compression for easy identification. the samples were rearranged to thicknesses x= 0.01,
0.015, 0.02, 0.025, 0.030, 0.035 meters for the different pressures P=875 x104, 1750 x104,
2625 x 104, 3500 x 104, 4375 x 104N/m2 respectively.

Plate 3.1: Samples compressed at different pressures for different thicknesses

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Table 4.1: Table of compression of sample A at different pressures and different thickness measured at weight W1 (g) before firing, and weight W2 (g) after firing.

w1 (g)

X(m)

P(Nm-2)

w2 (g)

16.5

0.01

875

13.67


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16.5 0.01 1750 13.23
16.5 0.01 2625 13.33
16.5 0.01 3500 12.93
16.5 0.01 4375 12.63
22.6 0.015 875 17.58
22.6 0.015 1750 17.95
22.6 0.015 2625 17.57
22.6 0.015 3500 17.22
22.6 0.015 4375 25.65
31.5 0.02 875 25.63
31.5 0.02 1750 25.08
31.5 0.02 2625 25.08
31.5 0.02 3500 25.83
31.5 0.02 4375 25.37
38.6 0.025 875 33.24
38.6 0.025 1750 32.24
38.6 0.025 2625 32.15
38.6 0.025 3500 31.8
38.6 0.025 4375 31.2
42.9 0.03 875 36.76
42.9 0.03 1750 36.46
42.9 0.03 2625 35.66
42.9 0.03 3500 35.27
42.9 0.03 4375 35.66
51.6 0.035 875 35.23
51.6 0.035 1750 43.48
51.6 0.035 2625 41.52
51.6 0.035 3500 43.41

51.6 0.035 4375 43.6

Table 4.2: Table of compression of sample B at different pressures and different thickness

measured at weight W1 (g) before firing, and weight W2 (g) after firing.

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W1 (g) X(m) P(Nm-2) W2 (g)

16.5

0.01

875

13.28

16.5

0.01

1750

13.05

16.5

0.01

2625

12.53

16.5

0.01

3500

11.8

16.5

0.01

4375

11.76

22.4

0.015

875

17.9

22.4

0.015

1750

17.71

22.4

0.015

2625

16.63

22.4

0.015

3500

16.23

22.4

0.015

4375

16.21

31.5

0.02

875

25.43

31.5

0.02

1750

25.45

31.5

0.02

2625

25.67

31.5

0.02

3500

25.43

31.5

0.02

4375

25.61

38.2

0.025

875

25.04

38.2

0.025

1750

32.56

38.2

0.025

2625

31.81

38.2

0.025

3500

31.98

38.2

0.025

4375

30.76

42.6

0.03

875

35.64

42.6

0.03

1750

35.85

42.6

0.03

2625

36.46

42.6

0.03

3500

35.4

42.6

0.03

4375

34.22

52

0.035

875

44.04

52

0.035

1750

44.51

52

0.035

2625

44.82

52

0.035

3500

43.55

52

0.035

4375

44.21

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Table 4.3: Table of compression of sample C at different pressures and different thickness measured at weight W1 (g) before firing, and weight W2 (g) after firing.

W1 (g) X(m) P(Nm-2) W2 (g)

16.5

0.01

875

13.43

16.5

0.01

1750

13.93

16.5

0.01

2625

12.53

16.5

0.01

3500

12.56

16.5

0.01

4375

12.54

22.5

0.015

875

18.53

22.5

0.015

1750

18.42

22.5

0.015

2625

18.47

22.5

0.015

3500

17

22.5

0.015

4375

17.23

31.5

0.02

875

25.35

31.5

0.02

1750

25.67

31.5

0.02

2625

25.34

31.5

0.02

3500

26.55

31.5

0.02

4375

25.34

38.3

0.025

875

32.67

38.3

0.025

1750

32.48

38.3

0.025

2625

32.6

38.3

0.025

3500

31.83

38.3

0.025

4375

31.2

42.3

0.03

875

34.68

42.3

0.03

1750

35.89

42.3

0.03

2625

36.27

42.3

0.03

3500

34.95

42.3

0.03

4375

33.8

51.5

0.035

875

42.77

51.5

0.035

1750

42.47

51.5

0.035

2625

41.83

51.5

0.035

3500

41.23

51.5

0.035

4375

41.94


Table 4.4: Table of compression of sample D at different pressures and different thickness measured at weight W1 (g) before firing, and weight W2 (g) after firing.

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W1 (g) X(m) P(Nm-2) W2 (g)

16.5

0.01

875

12.43

16.5

0.01

1750

12.13

16.5

0.01

2625

11.01

16.5

0.01

3500

11

16.5

0.01

4375

10.85

22.5

0.015

875

18.41

22.5

0.015

1750

17.08

22.5

0.015

2625

16.62

22.5

0.015

3500

15.43

22.5

0.015

4375

15.51

31.3

0.02

875

23.51

31.3

0.02

1750

23.8

31.3

0.02

2625

23.06

31.3

0.02

3500

23.32

31.3

0.02

4375

23.3

38.5

0.025

875

31.33

38.5

0.025

1750

30.24

38.5

0.025

2625

30.54

38.5

0.025

3500

29.24

38.5

0.025

4375

29.32

45

0.03

875

38.89

45

0.03

1750

38.67

45

0.03

2625

38.62

45

0.03

3500

38.23

45

0.03

4375

37.95

51.8

0.035

875

44.01

51.8

0.035

1750

43.78

51.8

0.035

2625

43.46

51.8

0.035

3500

43.77

51.8

0.035

4375

43.55


The result so far obtained indicate that the various clays collected from the four locations responds differently to measurement and compression as it was observed, the compression results for sample A, B, C, D, with the pressure applied shows little differences in value from the measurement of its weight as recorded in tables 4.1 to table 4.4 for each samples. Table
4.2 shows that sample B has the highest value in weight as the thickness increases and the rate of compression increases down the table. This can be said to be the due to the geological
chemical composition of the clay soil. The result obtained also indicates that the material is of

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high compressibility (Smith, 1990). This is observed when increases in value of pressures is applied to the same thickness of material thus increasing the density of the material. The result obtained after firing the clean at 1000oC shows the lustreness and plasticity of the clay (Guggenheim et al 1995).
CONCLUSION
With higher pressure application down the table there is significant increase in the weight after firing this indicate that the material is of high compressible strength according to atterberg principle. This material indicate it will be of immense contribution to building construction in Engineering and an indication that the material when further analysed will be a good material for the shielding of Ionizing radiation due to its ability to withstand greater heat without loss of weight of the material which can be attributed to its relative molecular mass and the physical and chemical composition of the clay substance. (Guggenheim et al.,
1995).
Further work is suggested to ascertain the chemical composition and the molecular mass of the sample to and possibly complement the material by doping it with other material for better performance.

5 Acknowledgement

I wish to thank my mentor in the field Dr J.A Adegoke of the physics department, University of Ibadan, for his great contribution to the success of this work and also my parents whose financial help hasten the completion of this work. To my amiable wife (Temitayo) thanks for your love, support and encouragement through the duration of this work, My friends and well wishers i say God bless you all.

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