Abstract

Clay minerals and materials have very diverse physical and chemical properties dependent largely on their structure and composition. Clays are comprised of hydrous phyllosilicates called clay minerals. The phyllosilicates are generally platy in shape and differ from one another with regard to the structural arrangement of the layers, the water content, and the associated cations. The clay mineral groups are kaolins, smectites, illites, chlorites, and palygorskite-sepiolite. The differences in these clays are discussed along with their origin and geographic locations.