Causes of Chipping of a Stiff‐Mud Facing Brick

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Abstract
A smooth‐textured face brick manufactured from a buff‐burning fire clay was studied to determine causes of chipping during handling. An impact test was devised to evaluate the chipping resistance of brick and specimens prepared in the laboratory. The cause of chipping is related to a high degree of orientation of plate like particles produced by friction between the clay column and the die during extrusion. Mullite needles are stratified at the surface during firing as they are formed in the plane of the oriented kaolinite particles. Weak interlayer bonding forces at the surface of the brick allow chips to be removed with the application of low impact forces. Improvements in chipping resistance were observed when the particle size of the ground clay was increased or when calcined clay was added to the raw mixture to reduce the number of fine plate like particles which are more easily oriented in one plane than are the larger more equidimensional particles. Lengthening the time at the maturing temperature during firing and decreasing the cooling rate also improved the chipping resistance of the brick.

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