Bricks

Ciao everyone!

Do you know what bricks are made of??

I didn't either.. and it drove me crazy, so here's what's up:

Modern bricks are most often referred to as "clay bricks". Generally, they are made of a mixture consisting mostly of silica (which is sand) and alumina (clay), with a bit of lime, iron oxide, and magnesia added in.


There are three methods most often used to make them--soft mud, dry press, or extruded.

Soft mud process: most common of the three methods, and most economical; clay is ground and mixed with water, and then pressed into steel molds; and then, it is shaped and fired to attain maximum strength.

Dry press process: starts with thicker clay mixture than soft mud processing requires; creates more accurate, sharper-edged bricks. "The greater force in pressing and the longer burn make this method more expensive", as I have discovered:)

Extruded:  clay is mixed with water and then forced through a device called a die, which makes it into the desired width and depth; then it will be cut into bricks of whatever size needed by a wall of wires; produces strongest, most stable bricks



Writing Prompt for the Day:
Describe a building...the look, feeling, meaning, etc. Use bricks.

Ciao for now
-TheRedLady-