A2 Ball Clay

A smooth and highly plastic, buff burning, refractory, ball clay suitable as a minor addition to increase body plasticity. A2 is mined in Southern Saskatchewn and is both a ball clay and a fireclay. We have large reserves of this material and have found it to be quite consistent from mining to mining.

Process Properties

A2 contains some soluble salts. These can be hostile to the deflocculation process, in ceramic applications they can be precipitated using barium carbonate.

Firing

Plasticfire is more refractory than most other ball clays.

Physical Properties

 Drying Shrinkage (50:50 calcine:raw mix): 5.5-6.5%
 Drying Factor (50:50 calcine:raw mix): C130
 Dry Density (50:50 calcine:raw mix): 1.80

Sieve Analysis (Tyler mesh):

   35-48: 0.1-0.4%
   48-65: 1.0-3.5
  65-100: 1.5-5.5
 100-150: 1.0-4.0
 150-200: 3.0-7.0
 200-325: 5.0-9.0

Fired Shrinkage (50:50 calcine:raw mix):

  Cone 6: 4.0-5.0%
  Cone 8: 4.5-5.5
 Cone 10: 5.5-6.5
 Cone 11: 5.5-6.5

Fired Absorption: (50:50 calcine:raw mix)

  Cone 6: 11.0-15.0%
  Cone 8: 9.0-11.0
 Cone 10: 7.0-9.0
 Cone 11: 6.0-8.0

Chemical Analysis

 CaO      0.25
 K2O      0.69
 MgO      0.43
 Na2O     0.04
 TiO2     0.72
 Al2O3   18.99
 SiO2    65.12
 Fe2O3    1.84
 LOI     10.58%

Plainsman Clays Ltd.
702 Wood Street, Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 1E9
Phone: 403-527-8535 FAX: 403-527-7508
Email: plainsman@telus.net

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