Experiment No.

3 Date: __ /__ / _____

DETERMINATION OF ACTIVE CLAY CONTENT

Aim: To determine active clay content in base sand

Materials used:
1. Fine silica sand
2. Samples of known active clay content
3. Methylene blue solution
4. 0.5 N sulphuric acid
5. Filter papers

Apparatus used: Titration stand, Conical flask, Measuring cylinders

Theory:
The clay content which is capable of formation of bond is called active clay content.
The live bentonite clay present in a sample of reconditioned sand can be determined by the
methylene blue test, which discriminates between active clay and other particles of similar
size which are included in the normal clay grade determination. Methylene blue dye, when
added to an acidified slurry of clay and water, is adsorbed by the clay to a point at which the
appearance of excess dye can be observed by spotting drops of the liquid on to a filter paper.
A weighed sand sample is agitated and heated in the selected initial solution, using stirring or
ultrasonic means. The standard methylene blue solution is then progressively added from a
burette until the spot tests reveal the end point, which is represented by a halo around the spot.
The volume of the standard solution required can be directly related to the active clay content
using an appropriate calibration curve.
Procedure:
1. Take 100 gm of dry sand and place in ultrasonic scrubbing for five minutes to
breakdown the fines, clusters, clay balls and heavy coatings.
2. Take 5 gm of the dry-sand in 250 ml conical flask and add 50 ml distilled water to it.
3. Shake the slurry for 15 minutes.
4. Add 2 ml of 0.5 N solution of H2SO4 acid and shake well the solution.
5. Prepare methylene blue solution (3.6 gm MB powder in one litre distilled water).
6. Fill MB solution in burette for titration
7. Add MB solution gradually to mixture in the conical flask.
8. Each time the MB solution is added, shake the flask well and by means of glass rod
place a drop on filter paper.
9. Observe the color of drop which changes from faint blue to dark blue with clear water
boundary.
10. Stop titration when the clear water ring changes into light blue-green halo radiating
outwards.
11. Note down the volume of MB added.
12. Repeat above procedure for sand samples with known amount of active caly content
and prepare the calibration curve.
13. Using calibration curve determine active clay content in given sand sample.
Observation Table:

A. For calibration.

S.N Active clay Volume of MB required (ml) Average of Volume of

. content in MB required
sample (ml)
1 1% 1 1.3 0.3 0.6 0.8
2 3% - - - - -
3 5% 3.3 2.5 1.2 2.3 2.325
4 7% 3.7 2.7 1.8 4.8 3.25
5 9% 6 3 2.1 4.6 3.925
6 11% 6.2 3.2 3 6.6 4.75

Figure 3.1 shows graphs of volume of MB against active clay content in sand

B. For sand sample with unknown clay content

S.N Volume of MB required (ml) Average of Volume of

. MB required
(ml)
1 Coarse sand (3+3.3) 3.15
2 Fine sand (4.2+3.8+6.2) 4.74

Result:
From fig. 3.1 (graph),
1) The coarse sand contains 6.9% active clay content.
2) The fine sand contains 10.4% active clay content.

Conclusion: