clay rock

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Sedimentary rock primarily composed of clay minerals. Mineral particles are very small, generally less than 0.0039 millimeters. The mineral composition mainly consists of clay minerals (such as kaolinite, hydromica, montmorillonite, etc.), whose content is usually greater than 50%; followed by clastic minerals (such as quartz, feldspar, etc.), non-clay indigenous minerals (such as oxides and hydroxides of iron and aluminum, etc.), carbonate minerals (such as calcite, dolomite, etc.), as well as phosphate and sulfate minerals. It exhibits mud-like, sandy-mud-like, silt-mud-like textures, as well as layering, cracking, and nodule structures. Common types include residual clay rocks, loose clay rocks, kaolinite clay rocks, montmorillonite clay rocks, chlorite clay rocks, etc. Materials that are loose are generally referred to as clay, while those that are compacted are known as mudstone or shale. Clay rocks possess properties such as plasticity, fire resistance, sinterability, water absorption, and ion exchange, which makes them widely used in industry.