What happens when clay is put in water?

Answer 1

Clays exhibit plasticity when mixed with water in certain proportions. When dry, clay becomes firm and when fired in a kiln, permanent physical and chemical reactions occur. These reactions, among other changes, cause the clay to be converted into a ceramic material. Because of these properties, clay is used for making pottery items, both utilitarian and decorative. Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are used to produce earthenware, stoneware and porcelain. Prehistoric humans discovered the useful properties of clay, and one of the earliest artifacts ever uncovered is a drinking vessel made of sun-dried clay.[citation needed] Depending on the content of the soil, clay can appear in various colors, from a dull gray to a deep orange-red.

Clay tablets were used as the first writing medium, inscribed with cuneiform script through the use of a blunt reed called a stylus.

Clays sintered in fire were the first form of ceramic. Bricks, cooking pots, art objects, dishware and even Musical Instruments such as theocarina can all be shaped from clay before being fired. Clay is also used in many industrial processes, such as paper making, cementproduction and chemical filtering. Clay is also often used in the manufacture of pipes for smoking tobacco. Until the late 20th century bentoniteclay was widely used as a mold binder in the manufacture of sand castings.

Clay, being relatively impermeable to water, is also used where natural seals are needed, such as in the cores of dams, or as a barrier inlandfills against toxic seepage ('lining' the landfill, preferably in combination with geotextiles).[4]

Recent studies have investigated clay's absorption capacities in various applications, such as the removal of heavy metals from waste water and air purification.

Answer 2

The term plastic is derived from the greek plastikos, meaning fit for molding, which clay most certainly is.

Modern plastics (thermoplastics) though are generally thought of as long high molecular weight polymers (mostly addition polymers) that will turn back to liquid when heated. Additional properties are whether they are amorphous, i.e whether they are crystalized.

Older plastics like bakelite are called thermosets and because they form strong and rigid cross-linked covalent bonds when cured they are harder, aren't recyclable and will tend to crack and shatter and burn when reheated instead of melting.

Answer 3

Clay particles, called colloids, are so tiny that a thimble-full of clay has many millions of times more surface area than a thimble-full of sand. Colloids are so tiny that electrical charges of nutrients adhere to their surfaces, thus small additives of clay to very porous soils allow nutrients to remain in the soil rather than washing away

Clay compacts easily and thus creates barriers to the free-flow of water. Holes dug in clay will hold water far longer than a hole dug in sand. Sand is very porous, clay is not. Shrubs and trees planted in excessively clayey soils are more likely to drown from excessive saturation of the roots, which must breath in similar manner as leaves do.

Answer 4

id ont know i just like writing coments on websites

Answer 5

When you add clay and water together, you will get that in 24 hours the water will be light beige colour!

Answer 6

because if mixed with water it can be moulded into any shape like a plastic..also it cannot be stretched that's why its plastic..so f*** you

Answer 7

It doesn't by definition. Dust is very finely DRY particulate matter. Clay tends to bind, not disintegrate, in water, but its particles are very fine, and in water it forms silt not "dust".

Answer 8

It sinks