Standard Guide for Wet Sieve Analysis of Ceramic Whiteware Clays

This guide covers the wet sieve analysis of ceramic whiteware clays. This guide is intended for use in testing shipments of clay as well as for plant control tests. The apparatus to be used include stirring device and sieves. The following procedure shall be followed in the analysis of the ceramic whiteware clays: transferring of duplicate portions of the dried clay sample; agitating of the slurry by means of a mechanical stirrer to ensure complete separation of clay from nonplastic impurities; transferring of the slaked and stirred sample, without loss, to the finest sieve to be employed in the test; washing of the residue remaining on the finest sieve into the pan; nesting the top sieve on the pan, which shall contain a certain amount of clear water; refilling of the pan with the proper amount of water, then nesting the top sieve and its residue on the pan; carefully blotting each sieve on its underside with a soft, damp sponge, and placing the sieve either in a drying oven or under infrared lamps until thoroughly dry; nesting the dried residues and sieves in the proper order, with due care to prevent dusting of the residues; and separating the nested sieves and carefully brushing the residue from each onto a weighing paper.