Talk:Clay
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[edit] Old text
I really love clay i like the feeling of it in my hands
Bold textWhen i was younger i had a ball of clay called Wilson oneItalic texthow to make me smile.Italic texti love you!
I am not good at editing the main page stuff. But though i should add that Montmorillonite clay is the most common member of the smectite clay family. Montmorillonite is generally referred to as “nanoclay”. It is also the most common material used in plastic nanocomposites. Nanoclay: a clay from the smectite family. Smectites have a unique morphology, featuring one dimension in the nanometer range. Think of them like a deck of cards. They are relatively long and wide compared to their height. If you were to spread them out equally three dimensionally you have reached optimization for most uses. While looking at the spaced out cards one dimension makes them almost impossible to see, yet their effects are extreme. It is currently being use by many companies for various uses. Example companies are Bayer AG, Nanocor, PolyOne, Honeywell, Mitsubishi Gas Chemical, etc. Everyone keeps hearing about nanotechnology, especially about carbon nano-tubes. Nanoclays have made just as much of an impact already but dont have the following.
Text which was added by anonymous user User:68.120.90.223 should be either removed or modified heavily. It definitely has something which is worth keeping but it also contains childish nonsenses like "clay is soil found in water" etc. This article should begin with geological explanation/definition and it is not what clay is technically, it is what clay actually is. Siim 19:34, 23 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Message from Professor Tropf of Cal State Northridge
The Wikipedia Help Desk has received a message from Professor Tropf of Cal State Northbridge. Apparently, he tried to rewrite the article to include the use of clay in art. I quote from his e-mail: I tried to amend the article with a paragraph on the use of clay as an artistic medium, but it was removed.
Why was my plain-language addition to a highly technical article removed? How can I write a plain-language explanation of what "clay" is and have it posted on Wikipedia?
I suspect that he was the anonymous user referred to above.
I will seek further information from him and see if we can we develop a compromise. Capitalistroadster 04:17, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
I re-inserted the edit mentioned as a start for a new subsection. The info is good, with some tweaks. I was previously pondering how to make it fit when another editor removed it. The added section probably needs some tuning for better flow. Vsmith 04:53, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
Professor Tropf has e-mailed that he has edited the article which currently appears as the introduction. His text is:
"Clay is a generic name for a number of different types of soils found in or near water. Clay is denser and heavier than most other types of earth. Naturally high in water content, clay is malleable and can be easily shaped by the hands. When dried in the sun it becomes harder, but sun-dried clay will break or crumble over time. Clay can be hardened permanently by heating it in a special oven called a “kiln,” which provides more intense heat, even temperature and faster drying time. The process of hardening clay in a kiln is called “firing.” Clay is found in a variety of colors from gray to reddish orange, but during or after the firing process a clay object can be painted or glazed."
Capitalistroadster 17:11, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
- The good prof. needs to read the article, the info is already there - as I mentioned above. Vsmith 17:21, 25 November 2005 (UTC)
I'd like to say "thank you" to the editors of wikipedia and V. Smith, who have helped me create a much better article on the subject of clay. I ask my freshmen-level students to select a work of art and write a research paper on how that artwork was created. Those who choose a ceramic artwork have had a very difficult time finding information on clay as an artistic medium. The original wikipedia article was full of highly technical terms, with no common language explanation for beginners. Now we have an article that can be understood by an undergraduate student with no experience in science, but still includes informaton for advanced scholars.
Ralph Tropf, MFA
Cal State Northridge
- Thanks, we may have some misunderstandings, but we try :-). My apologies for the confusion. I have moved your note to the bottom of the page as is the custom for Wikipedia talk pages, new comments at the end. Your edit improved the article - feel free to edit more (that's what it's all about), your expertise is welcome. If you have questions or concerns just ask on the relevant talk page - or ask on my talk page. Vsmith 00:45, 27 November 2005 (UTC)
[edit] Firing?
Can someone explain what happens to clay as it is fired? I suspect the silicate drys out, then welds to itself, but that seems like it would only happen in a narrow temperature range (lest the piece melt). Any ideas> —BenFrantzDale 13:20, 20 December 2005 (UTC)
[edit] clay in solution
Okay, so I have a question and an idea. How did people, and how do people, make high quality pure clay for firing in a kiln from clay that probably has silt, sand and organic matter in it?
Well, I have an idea. In soils we learned that clay particles will remain in suspension after two hours, at which time the silt and sand will have dropped out. So assuming that usable firing clay needs only have silt and sand removed, one could get a canister of muddy water, let it sit for two hours and then siphon off as much water as possible without disturbing the silt and sand at the bottom. Then that water, once evaporated, would yeild very nearly 100% clay, right? I just don't know if 100% clay is what the "clay" we used in grade school to make ash trays is.
Also, should this neat little link on making clay to paint with be on the external links on the main page? I'm ages five and up... http://americanhistory.si.edu/kids/santos/TryItWaterBasedPaints.html
[edit] Definition or decription
Hello Ballista, I reverted your edit back to my earlier because:
1) You stated Clay is a sedimentary deposit, however some primary deposits are found
2) You stated hydrous silicate mineral, where as clay is not one mineral but a group of minerals and include, for example, halloysite, kaolinite and montmorillionite
Best regards, Andy
[edit] I love clay
Yep
