Grants and Contributions:

Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year (2017-2018 to 2018-2019).

MAR-CO Clay Products Inc, is in the business of producing clay-based products from a range of sources,x000D
including natural soils and aggregate materials, that have been widely marketed in North America. One of theirx000D
main products is a formulation made from Queenston shale, a soft rock rich in clay. The product is widely usedx000D
in baseball infield preparation for construction of the catcher box, pitcher's mound and application to thex000D
surfaces of the base running paths. While specifications for the composition of the soil material to be used forx000D
construction and maintenance of the skinned areas of the infield vary, an ideal mix should consist of betweenx000D
50 and 75 percent sand and 25 to 50 percent clay and silt. This mix specification is typically stated in requestsx000D
to suppliers of these soil materials.x000D
MAR-CO Clay supplies a product for this industry that is produced by crushing Queenston shale and is widelyx000D
regarded as being superior. However, analysis of the texture of this product (% sand, silt and clay) followingx000D
standard methods used by commercial soil testing laboratories shows a much coarser product than the specifiedx000D
soil material mix. The problem with using this method is that the product made from Queenston shale isx000D
comprised of clay particles that are cemented together forming larger silt- and sand-sized particles not easilyx000D
dispersed.x000D
This project will develop a rigorous method for precise analysis of the texture (sand, silt and clay content) ofx000D
soils and soil parent materials used for sports field construction and maintenance. This work is essential for thex000D
company (i) to provide scientifically-based, verifiable method for analyzing and reporting the texture of theirx000D
soil products; (ii) to assess the potential of raw materials for their use in production of engineered soils; (iii) tox000D
maintain and ensure quality control during production of soil products; and (iv) to provide precise specificationx000D
for company soil products.