NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT
N.C.G.S. Open File Report 80-4
CLAYS AND SHALES
OF TIlE
NORTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT
by
Eldon P. Allen N. C. Geological Survey Section
and Kenneth J. Liles U. S. Bureau of Mines
Raleigh 1980
This report is preliminary and has not been edited or reviewed for conformity with North Carolina Geological Survey standards and nomenclature.
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CONTENTS
Abstract . . . .
...
1
Introduction . .
2
Acknowledgements
4
Sample Descriptions, Characteristics, and Evaluations
5
Alamance County
6
Alexander County
11
Anson County
14
Burke County
20
Cabarrus County
25
Caldwell County
30
Caswell County
34
Catawba County
40
Chatham County
44
Cleveland County
55
Davidson County
59
Davie County
63
Durham County .
67
Forsyth County
76
Franklin County
79
Gaston County .
83
Granville County
88
Guilford County
93
Halifax County
97
Harnett County
100
Iredell County
107
Johnston County
113
Lee County
118
Lincoln County
124
McDowell County
128
Mecklenburg County
132
Montgomery County
135
Moore County
144
Nash County . . . .
163
Northampton County
167
Orange County
170
Person County .
174
Polk County . .
180
Randolph County
192
Richmond County
197
Rockingham County
201
Rowan County
206
Rutherford County
210
Stanly County
214
Stokes County
218
Surry County
223
Union County
228
Vance County
232
Wake County .
235
Warren County
245
Wilkes County
250
Wilson County
253
Yadkin County
255
Appendix I - Beneficiation, Chemical, and Mineral Analysis of Five White Residual
Clays .
259
Glossary
....
263
Selected References
266
Illustrations Plate I - Clays and Shales of the North Carolina Piedmont
attached
ii
ABSTRACT
North Carolina has led the nation in brick production since 1962. and 1979 preliminary figures indicate it has continued its lead with 14 percent of the total U.S. market by producing approxi@ately 1.03 billion bricks valued at $103 million. The state and the U.S. Bureau of tiines established a cooperative program in 1963 to aid in the continuing development of brick capacity and diversity of clay products in North Carolinao
For this program. 380 clay and shale samples were collected from 48 counties in the Piedmont province. The Piedmont includes the state's two major brick producing areas. which are the Triassic basins and the Carolina Slate Belt. Also included are residual clays from miscellaneous rocks and selected sedimentary clays. As a background, 54 clay and shale samples were cOllected from 25 present or recent brick. pipe. or lightweight agregate producers which were active during the 1960's and 1970's.
A total of 326 clay and shale samples were also collected from new localities, of which 188 show potential value in structural clay product applications. These data are included in this open-file report which is placed in the Geological Survey Section Library.
1
INTRODUCTION
Traditionally, the bulk of North Carolina's mineral wealth has been in its non-metallic materials, of which clays and shales have been a major part. In 1962, North Carolina became the nation's leading brick producer, and in 1979 it manufactured approximately 1.03 billion bricks valued at $103 million for 14 percent of the total U.S. production.
To aid the producers in a continuing development of North Carolina's brick capacity and help provide for more diversity in the clay products industry, a cooperative program was established by the state and the U.S. Bureau of Mines in 1963. This program provides for the effective coordination of federal and state activities for promoting the exploration and evaluation of local clays and similar non-metallic raw materials for structural clay products and other uses.
On July 25, 1963, two boxes containing 47 clay samples were shipped by motor freight to the Norris Metallurgical Research Laboratory to initiate a long-term, cooperative clay and shale testing program between the U.S. Bureau of Mines and the North Carolina Department of Natural Resources and Community Development, Land Resources Division, Geological Survey Section (formerly the North Carolina Department of Conservation and Development , Division of Mineral Resources). Periodic renewal of this agreement has been made through Fiscal Year 1982.
Under this cooperative agreement, the Geological Survey Section is responsible for: 1) planning and conducting the field work; 2) correlating field, geological, and laboratory data; 3) sampling and delivering samples to a specified laboratory for appropriate pyrochemical testing to determine the potential economic applications; and 4) publishing the findings of the program. The U.S. Bureau of Mines conducts or provides for testing and related evaluations. Reports of the program findings are reviewed and approved by the U.S. Bureau of Mines prior to pUblication.
Some clay and shale samples have been collected from all regions of North Carolina; however, this report coverS only the Piedmont province. The Piedmont includes the state's two major brick producing areas, which are the Triassic basins and the Carolina Slate Belt. Also included are residual clays from miscellaneous rocks and selected sedimentary deposits. Samples for this report have been collected from 48 Piedmont counties.
Test data have been compiled on 380 clay and shale samples--90 clays and shales from the Triassic basins, 107 residual clays and shales from the Carolina Slate Belt, 145 residual clays from miscellaneous rocks, and 38 sedimentary clays. Of the 380 total samples, 326 are from new localities, of which 188 show a potential value in structural clay product applications.
To provide a background for comparison with materials presently or recently utilized, 54 samples were collected from the 25 producers who were active during the 1960's and 1970's. The terms present use or recent
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