China and Fire Clays and Fullers Earth

Clays are of various types, however Pakistan has reserves of China, Fire clays and Fuller Earth. These are fine-grained earth materials and they become plastic when wet. They are largely composed of hydrous aluminum silicate minerals

• China clay is raw material used in ceramic industry and used in pecial types of cement and many there industries. Pakistan has largest deposits at Shah Den, about 24 km North West of Saidu Sharif (Swat district). The total reserves are 2.7   million tonnes. Some other deposits are located at Alai in northern mountains and Temargarh (district Dir in N.W.F.P). These reserves are 50 thousand tonnes. Some China Clay reserves have been found in Nagar Parkar (Sindh). Total reserves of China Clay are 4.9 million tonnes, while during 2007-08 production was 32 thousand tonnes.
• Fire Clay is another clay found in Pakistan, and is used, in manufacturing of potteries, in factories and in chemical industries and used as fillers.
 
• Pakistan has large deposits of fire clay (over 100 million tonnes), while annual production was 164,000 tonnes during 2000-01 which became 330 thousand tonnes during 2007-08.

The main deposits of clay are located in the eastern and western Salt Range. Some deposits also occur in trans-Indus area in the Kishore Range and Surghar Range. Our total reserves are sufficient for our local needs for long time.

• Fuller’s Earth is also important industrial mineral and is used in foundries, steel mills and oil drilling, oil refining etc. Its deposits are wide spread in Pakistan its large deposits are at Padhrar (Salt Range) hilly areas of Sukkur and Kot Diji and Thano Bula Khan (Lakhi Range--105 km north east of Karachi).
• The main deposits of Fuller’s Earth occur at Ranki and Sebdi Nalas in the sourhtern Sulaiman Range. Pakistan has large deposits of Fullers Earth and Pakistan extracted 11,000 tonnes during 2007-08. Besides, Pakistan has over 1 million tonnes Bentonite reserve, which has similar uses to those of Fullers Earth. Its deposits are located in Salt Range and Azad Kashmir.