**5. Conclusions**

In this study, it has been established that clay minerals may appear not to be the most valuable among the minerals of the earth surface, yet they affect life on earth in far reaching ways. Little would be known to man in ages past that the uses of

*Classification of Clay Minerals DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.103841*

clay surpass molding bricks and all sort. Recent studies have shown that some of it classes are used for intumescent coatings and gaskets, treatment of toxic waste and air-freight. Due of its characteristic plastic property, clay has several industrial uses, which include manufacturing of refractories as well as in drilling mud in the water, oil and gas industries. Today, natural clay derivatives, a group of low-cost adsorbents, naturally with the hydrophilic characteristics have emerged to be a new solution to control the mobility and emission of water pollutants in the groundwater tables. Specifically, these unique adsorbents and its modified derivatives are found capable to remove anionic contaminants, hydrophobic or nonpolar organic pollutants through the interlayer (quaternary ammonium cations) exchange process.
