Kaolin 101

A Unique Mineral
for
Value Added Applications

Doug Carter, Ph.D.

Vice President Technology and Business Development

Doug Carter
Dr. Carter has served as KaMin's Vice President of Technology and
Business Development since 2008, but has over 20 years of
experience working for Kamin/J.M. Huber in a variety of roles
including Marketing, Business Development and Technology, new
product development, and new business development. With a
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Berry College and a Ph.D. in
Bio-Physical Chemistry from Clemson University, Dr. Carter leads
the innovation efforts for KaMin. Dr. Carter currently serves as the
Board Chair of Centre International Couchage, as the Chair of the
China Clay Producers Association Environmental Committee, and
also serves on the board of local charitable and educational
organizations.

Kaolin 101
Origin and Unique Properties
KaMins Unique Position

Mining, Processing and Finishing

Some Product Uses
Regulatory Aspects
Approvals
GHS

What is Kaolin?

Al2O3 2SiO2 2H2O

How is it formed?
Hydrothermally or Weathered Granite
TYPICAL CROSS SECTION THROUGH A PIT

Typical Cross-Section Through a Deposit

Sparta, Georgia

Cornwall, England
S AND WASTE TI P
Orig inal l and surface

Land surface

CHINA CLAY PIT

Deeply Weathered Granite Altered in-situ to Kaolin

Hydrothermally
Altered Granite

Casserite-tourmaline
granite
Hydrothermal Solutions

CHINA CLAY
AVAILABLE FOR
FUTURE WORKING

200m

Unweathered Low-Iron Biotite-Muscovite Granite

0

?
CHINA CLAY
THAN CANNOT
BE WORKED

3m

UNALTERED
GRANITE
Slide from Ian Wilson Consultancy
Cornwall, England
-modified MAL 2003

Soil

KAOLIN TO BE MINED

UNALTERED GRANITE

KAOLIN GEOLOGY IN MIDDLE

GEORGIA

Formation
Between 50 and 100 million years
ago, during the geological periods
known as Cretaceous*,
Paleocene* and Tertiary*, the Atlantic
Ocean covered much of Georgia
south of an imaginary line drawn from
Columbus to Augusta, which is where
the Piedmont Plateau meets the
coastal plain.

* Chemical Composition is very similar but subtle differences do exist

In Georgia
From

To

East Georgia Kaolin Mine

KaMin Reserves
Span the Range of Crude Types

Western Crudes

Coarsest Clays in Ga.

Eastern Reserves

High Quality Fine Clays

Modifications Possible
Physical
Size and Shape
Surface Chemistry
Charge, Hydrophillic/Hydrophobic Balance
Structurally
Can Manipulate Crystal Structure

Products in Wide Variety of Ranges can be Produced

And Pigment Can be Physically Modified

From Blocky to Individual Plates

Goal is Individual Plates

Hydrous Clays are Inert Particles but Edges can be Reacted

Charge Characteristics of Kaolin Particles

Silica Edges

Aluminum Edges

Vishal Gupta, Ph.D Dissertation 2011

And those Sites Can be Treated with Various

Chemistries
No Dispersant (Acid Dried)
No Dispersant (Neutral pH)

Clay - OH

Inorganic Dispersant (Na-silicate, Na-phosphate )

Organic Dispersant (Hydrophillic)
Organic Dispersant (Hydrophobic)

Or a Complete Reaction with Surface

Clay - OH

Et-O-Si - R

Clay O Si - R
Where R = Alkyl, Vinyl, Acids, Amine, etc.

Can Modify Structural Characteristics Through Calcination

Hydroxyls converted to Oxides, Material becomes more Hydrophobic
Good Lewis Acid

Hydrous

Calcined @ 1000 C

Process Converts Kaolin Physically, Chemically and Structurally!

Can also Change Surface Area and Pore

Size to Provide Structure to Application

KaMin

KaMin

Internal pore size and pore volume of calcined products can be manipulated.

Kaolin Process

All Kaolin Processes: Remove Contaminants and

Modify Particle Size

Air Float focused on

separation of silica

Water wash Focuses on

separation of silica and iron
based minerals (illmenite)

Can remove silica down

below 1%. Little impact on
other impurities

Silica Levels below 0.1%

Kaolin Process Distinct Processes to Generate Value

First step is getting crude ready for the processing.conditioning
Overburden must be removed so the targeted
clay can be reached.

First separation
step remove sand

Crude blend is
made into a
slurry to enhance
physical
separation

Clay is stockpiled based on Quality

parameters

Kaolin Processing: 4 Distinct Steps

Classification
Physically separates
larger particles from
small particles

Physical Separation of Impurities

Floatation, Selective Separation, Magnetic
Separation, Ozone, Dithionate Bleach
Removes Organic (Humus) and iron based
materials

Process focuses on removal of Fe2O3(rust), FeTiO4 and Residual Organic Material

Process does not affect the level of trace elements
Bagging

Converting a Crude Kaolin into a Customer Product

Kaolin Efficiency

100

62.5

% Silica

4-12

< 0.1

Brightness

75-85

85-91

Size

Broad

Specific

Kaolin Processing: Continued

Dewatering Process
Filtration
Evaporation
Drying

Packaging and Shipping

Spray Dried Bead or
Milled Product

Calcination Process

Laching/Filtration

Bagging

Calcination Process : Changes in Physical Properties of the Kaolin

Crude/Crude Chemistry + Process Chemistry + Process Variables = Final Product

Milling

Brightness
Oil Absorption
Particle Size
Pore size

Today Kaolin Used to Deliver Value in a Variety of

Applications

GREENLAND

ALASKA (USA)

SWEDEN

ICELAND

RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FINLAND
NORWAY

CANADA

ESTONIA

LATVIA
DENMARK
LITHUANIA

REPULIC OF
IRELAND

BELARUS

UNITED
KINGDOM

NETHERLANDS

GERMANY

POLAND

BELGIUM
CZECH
REPUBLIC

UKRAINE
SLOVAKIA

KAZAKHSTAN

AUSTRIA

MONGOLIA

HUNGARY

FRANCE

SWITZ.

ROMANIA
ITALY
UZBEKISTAN

BULGARIA

PORTUGAL

GEORGIA

UNITED STATES of AMERICA

KYRGYZSTAN

SPAIN

NORTH
KOREA
GREECE

TURKEY

TURKMENISTAN

SYRIA

SOUTH
KOREA

CHINA

AFGHANISTAN

JAPAN

IRAN

IRAQ

TUNISIA

MOROCCO

TAHKISTAN

PAKISTAN

ALGERIA

NEPAL

LIBYA

EGYPT

WESTERN SAHARA

SAUDI
ARABIA

MEXICO

TAIWAN

UAE
OMAN

INDIA
VIETNAM

CUBA

MYANMAR

MAURITANIA

LAOS

MALI
NIGER
GUATEMALA

CHAD
SUDAN

HONDURAS

THAILAND

YEMEN

SENEGAL

NICARAGUA

PHILIPPINES

CAMBODIA

BURKINA
GUINEA
NIGERIA

COSTA RICA
PANAMA

ETHIOPIA

GHANA

VENEZUELA
LIBERIA

GUYANA

COLOMBIA

SURINAME

FRENCH
GUIANA

COTE
DIVOIRE

SRI
LANKA

CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC
CAMEROON

MALAYSIA
SOMALIA
UGANDA

KENYA
GABON CONGO

ECUADOR

DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC OF
CONGO
TANZANIA

PAPUA
NEW GUINEA

INDONESIA

BRAZIL
PERU

ANGOLA
ZAMBIA

BOLIVIA
MADAGASCAR

ZIMBABWE
NAMIBIA
PARAGUAY

BOTSWANA

AUSTRALIA
REPUBLIC
OF SOUTH
AFRICA
URUGUAY

CHILE

ARGENTINA

NEW
ZEALAND

Markets: Story of New Opportunities and

shifting needs
In 2005, 6%

In 2005, 45%

In 2005, 20%

Source: Roskill 2013

Growing Ceramics Market

Kaolin As a Resin Extender for Clear Coatings

Resin Extender Comparision

(Polyurethane Resin Application)
125

Gloss, 60 degree

115
105
95
85
75
65
55

Polygloss 90

45

Ultrafine Ground Calcium Carbonate (0.4 m)

35

Standard No. 1 Fine Particle Size Kaolin

25
4

10

12

14

16

Pigment Loading (%)

Polyurethane Coating extended with 15% Kaolin .

Designing Clay to Disappear Allows Significantly Higher Extension Levels

And Technology to Allows Us to Take it to the Next Level

3.0
231.0
100.6
43.85
19.11
8.325
3.627
1.580
0.6885
0.3000

2.8

refractive index of coating

2.6
2.4
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

thickness of coating, nm

Why? Enhance Barrier Properties without Impacting Optical

Performance

Improved Barrier Properties Drives Economic Savings and Longer Life

of End Products
Use of Fine Kaolin allows Maximum Loading

% Kaolin Loading = % Reduction in Gas Permeability

Product Formally Launching in June

Or Kaolin for Foam Applications

Traditional Fine Kaolins Increase the Compression Set and Reduce Shrinkage

But they Increase Density

Solution:

Patented treatment maintains density of product allowing additional

performance to be leveraged.

Material
None
Fine
Coarse
Fine Treated

Density
3.29
16.7
3.39
3.24

Foam Volume
30.4
6.6
32.4
34

psi @ 50%
%
Deflection Compression
0.05
29.5
--0.65
21.1
0.62
6.2

Calcined Clay for Reinforced Nylon: Nylok 171

2000 C

US Patent 5,571,851 in Nylon 6,6

But Maybe the Best Thing about Kaolin

Is it is Green
Natural Product that is REACH Exempt
Listed by EPA as Green Chemical for Use
in Household Goods
Qualifies for Ecolabeling in Europe

Kaolin Regulatory Approvals

Exempt from Registration under European REACH.

US FDA 176.170 Components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty food (dated 1 April 2014)
US FDA 176.180 Components of paper and paperboard in contact with dry food (dated 1 April 2013)
US FDA 175.300 Resinous and Polymeric Coatings (dated 1 April 2014)
US FDA 175.105 Adhesives and Components of Coatings, Subpart B (dated 1 April 2043)
US FDA 186.1256 Packaging Additive Used in Indirect Contact with Food (dated 1 April 2014)
US FDA 178.3297 Colorants for Polymers (dated 1 April 2014).
US FDA 177.2600 Rubber Articles Intended for Repeated Use (dated 1 April 2014)
BFR XXXVI, XXXVI/2, LII.
COEs Paper Resolution Version 2
EU 10/2011
GB 9685-2008 Hygenic Standards for Use of Additives in Food Containers and Packaging. (listed)
Meets all Requirements for US and European Cosmetics Acts
Meets all Requirements for EU Toy Safety Standard
US EPA as inert ingredients for food use under 40 CFR 180.910 & 930
US EPA Safer Ingredients List
US EPA listed for direct crop application
Meets standards for Eco labeling in Europe

Kaolin

General Information

MSDS goes to SDS

SDS will have 16 section format
Use of Standard Pictograms
All Products Labeled with Hazard or Danger (unless non-hazardous)
GHS Labels Required for all Materials (unless Non-Hazardous)

Deadlines for compliance

December 2013 employees have to be trained in new SDS format
June 2015 All manufacturers must have new SDS
June 2016 New Labels in place on all materials

General Information
Global is not truly Global (Harmonized but not the same).
Other regions have own rules that are similar but not the same.
Rules have gone in effect in Asia prior to US
Europe has REACH which is compatible with GHS but not the
same.
Threshold for some contaminants is higher in Europe (silica )
Trigger level for silica in US and ROW is > 0.1%
Trigger level for silica in Europe is > 1%

KaMin Information
KaMins Kaolin Products exempt from GHS Rules

Non-Hazardous Materials exempt!

We have provided updated SDS as a courtesy to our customers.
They are found at bottom of our website: www.kaminllc.com

Non-Hazardous and do not require any symbol or labeling

KaMin Letter our exempt status with regard to Classification, Labeling and
Packaging (CLP) Regulations is available on our web site.

Not all kaolins are considered non-hazardous.

GHS Labeling Example

Some Kaolin Products

will be Labeled on each
bag.

Product Name
Hazard Statement: May cause cancer. May
cause damage to organs (Lung) through
prolonged exposure.
Precautionary Statement:
Details provided on best handling practices
Storage: Technically required to be locked

Danger
Manufacture name
Address
Contact Number

This product is a Hazardous Chemical as defined by OSHA

Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200

The CAS# 1332-58-7 is the same for labeled and unlabeled kaolin products.
Difference is in the presence or absence of contaminant

KaMin has Airfloat Alternative

that does not require hazard labeling

Target customers are those that do

not want to deal with new GHS
issue. (Likely smaller customers
without air handling systems in their
factories)

Price Point above airfloat but below

other hydrous clays

See your sales/tech service person

for more details.

Thank you for your time and attention

Certificate of Completion
Kaolin 101
April 13, 2015

Questions?