Browsing by Subject "Pleistocene glacial lake clay"

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    Characterization of New and Traditional Clay Products using Wrenshall, Springfield, and St. Cloud Area Clays
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1990-11) Toth, Thomas A; Oreskovich, Julie A; Hauck, Steven A; Bresnahan, Richard
    Clays and clay minerals from Wrenshall, Springfield, and the St. Cloud area show potential for use as industrial minerals. The Wrenshall clays are Pleistocene glacial lake clays, the Springfield clays are Late Cretaceous non-marine and marine shales, and the St. Cloud area clays are primary and secondary kaolins and Late Cretaceous non-marine shales. This project includes a characterization of the physical properties of these clay raw materials and their finished products. Specialty bricks can be made from the Wrenshall clays using coloring additives, paint rock, taconite concentrate, and wild rice hulls as additives. Springfield non-marine shales can be used as fillers in a tile body to improve plasticity to the body. Springfield marine shales, which bloat upon firing, can be used as lightweight aggregate. The primary kaolins from the St. Cloud area are capable of being used as floor and wall tile and as a ceramic clay. The secondary kaolins can also be used for tile and ceramics, but sufficient quantities have not been found. The non-marine shales in the St. Cloud area (Avon) are currently being used for ceramic pieces. This project characterizes these clays and clay minerals based on evaluation of the shrinkage, absorption, and color of the fired products. These clay deposits can be used as industrial minerals for the products tested.
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    Testing of Kittson County Bloating Clays as Lightweight Aggregate in Structural Concrete
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1993-08) Oreskovich, Julie A; Hauck, Steven A
    Pleistocene glacial lake clays found in west-central Kittson County, Minnesota, were identified as bloating clays in 1989. One of the primary uses of bloating clays is as lightweight aggregate in structural concrete. Such lightweight structural concrete is used in the construction of high-rise buildings, where the reduced weight allows building higher while reducing the amount of structural steel support. While Minnesota has several different bloating clay deposits, most lightweight aggregate currently used in Minnesota is shipped by barge up the Mississippi River from West Memphis, Arkansas. Among Minnesota's bloating clays are the Cretaceous shales near Springfield in southwestern Minnesota, the Ordovician Decorah Shale of southeastern Minnesota, and the Pleistocene Brenna Formation clays of Kittson County in northwestern Minnesota. The Kittson clays bloat at a lower temperature than the other Minnesota bloating clays and have a unique spherical bloating habit. In addition, the deposit is homogeneous over a large areal extent and thickness and lies within 20 ft. of the surface. The clays would be easily accessible for open pit mining. This project was undertaken to determine whether the Kittson clays, when fired, produced a suitable lightweight aggregate for use in structural concrete. Testing was done according to American Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) standards by an independent testing laboratory. Tests results showed that the Kittson clays meet all ASTM requirements for use as a lightweight aggregate in structural concrete.