APPLICATION OF CLAY IN OUR DAY TO DAY LIVES

One of the enormous challenges and concern in our emerging world today is to go green in the city in order to enhance the living standard, lifestyle of the people and to have a pleasant environment. The earth has become scarce and expensive due to pollutions in the city where hazardous chemicals are released in various forms and wastage of energy & resources has add up the expenditures by a rapid rate today , hence a solution had to be made in order to have better outcome to the problems. After brainstorming it was found that numerous developments can be done and are done in technological aspects in order to serve the earth better. But why not go back in to our natural resources that are broadly available in the earth with several inspiring applications. Clay often called dirt is one of the most common resource found all over the earth which consist of several minerals such as hydrous aluminium phyllosillicates, iron, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium, alkali metals, alkaline earths, metal oxides and organic matters consisting various amount of water trapped in the structure (clay), moreover clay is a naturally occurring material from the earths crust. When the clay is made wet with specific amount of water it has the ability to form solid mass and is able to retain it shape and strength when its moulded or treated under different temperatures. Clays are categorised in to several classes based on characteristics and its chemical properties where it can attain its optimum hardness, durability and usage. Earthenware, Stoneware, Mid-Fire Stoneware, High-fire Stoneware, Ball clays, fire clays and Kaolin are some of the common classes. Talking about the application of clay in todays household sector, most of the villas roof are built by asbestos sheets, concrete, wood and other materials but using clay roof tile for roofing makes it more feasible where not much maintenance is needed, cheaper, resistance to moss growth, keep the house cooler as it is resistant to the suns UV rays and also is very durable with a lifespan of almost 50 years. Clay paints can be used to paint the walls in the house over the conventional plaster, the reason why its better to use clay paints is because it has no Volatile organic compound hence the ones applying the paint dont have to deal with harmful gases which are released when conventional paints are applied and is also found cheaper compared to conventional paints. Moreover since clay is cooling agent clay paints can keep the rooms cooler and also enhance the consumers health as conventional chemical paint is avoided.

Moreover, PVC storage tanks in the house can be replaced by clay tanks by doing this not only keeps the water in the tank cooler, it is highly durable and cheaper compared to PVC tanks. Moving on to the domestic purposes in the houses, the main concern is to save energy by using clay pots for storing drinking water instead of refrigerator or water dispenser as it keeps water cool and gives a better taste due to the minerals available in clay. Today as consumers look for products which are at cheaper prices like non-stick cooking pans but after few cycles of usage the chemical coating in pan is peeled off which is hazardous, getting in to practice of using pans made of clay can save money as well as give a better taste for the food and the best advantage for earth is clay pans can be easily recycled or disposed. Last but not least practicing usage of clay pot instead of plastic pots to grow plants provide a healthier environment for the plant as clay allow air and moisture to penetrate from the sides of the pot which is utilised by the roots of the plant. Clay also is a natural remedy where Montmorillonite clay or Bentonite clay can be taken to change the immune system during an on-going disease. Benefits of clay some of the people experience after eating clay for two weeks is that they have relief from constipation, no more indigestion, no ulcer problems, improvements in the digestive system, a surge in physical energy, Clearer skin, whiter and brighter eyes, more alertness, emotional uplift and enhanced growth and tissue repair of gums and skins. Rather than consuming expensive tablets that weaken the body practice of eating clay regularly can boost the health of people who are suffering from the above problem which can be cured by clay. To finally conclude there are numerous application and uses of this natural mineral than the ones stated above. Practicing and making use of this natural mineral will definitely boost and enhance the day to day lives of people by giving them a healthier lifestyle and also it can make the environment a better today.