Talc

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For other uses, see TALC (disambiguation).
"Talcum" redirects here. For other uses, see Talcum (disambiguation).
"Magnesium silicate" redirects here. For the synthetic form, see synthetic magnesium
silicate. For the chemical and mineral with the [SiO4]−4 anion, see forsterite.

Talc

General

Category Silicate mineral

Formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2

(repeating unit)

Strunz classification 9.EC.05

Crystal system Monoclinic or triclinic[1]

Crystal class Either prismatic (2m) or pinacoidal (1)[2]

Space group C2/c or C1

Unit cell a = 5.291 Å, b = 9.173 Å

 c = 5.290 Å; α = 98.68°

β = 119.90°, γ = 90.09°; Z = 2 or

a = 5.287 Å, b = 9.158 Å

c = 18.95 [Å], β = 99.3°; Z = 4[2]

Identification

Color Light to dark green, brown, white, grey,

colorless

Crystal habit Foliated to fibrous masses, rare as platey to

pyramidal crystals

Cleavage Perfect on {001} basal cleavage

Fracture Flat surfaces (not cleavage), fracture in an

uneven pattern

Tenacity Sectile

Mohs scale hardness 1 (defining mineral)

Luster Waxlike or pearly

Streak White jot to pearl black

Diaphaneity Translucent

Specific gravity 2.58 to 2.83

Optical properties Biaxial (-)

Refractive index nα = 1.538 – 1.550

nβ = 1.589 – 1.594

nγ = 1.589 – 1.600

 Birefringence δ = 0.051

Pleochroism Weak in dark varieties

Ultraviolet fluorescence Short UV=orange yellow, long UV=yellow

References [2][3][4]

Talc is a clay mineral, composed of hydrated magnesium silicate with the chemical

formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. Talc in powdered form, often combined with corn starch, is used
as baby powder. This mineral is used as a thickening agent and lubricant; is an
ingredient in ceramics, paint, and roofing material; and is a main ingredient in many
cosmetics.[5] It occurs as foliated to fibrous masses, and in an exceptionally
rare crystal form. It has a perfect basal cleavage and an uneven flat fracture, and it is
foliated with a two-dimensional platy form.
The Mohs scale of mineral hardness is based on scratch hardness comparison, ranging
from 1 to 10, a value of 10 being the hardest of minerals. The hardness of talc, the
softest of minerals, defines the value of 1 on the scale. (Any mineral with a value less
than 2 can be scratched by a fingernail.) When scraped on a streak plate, talc produces
a white streak; though this indicator is of little importance, because most silicate
minerals produce a white streak. Talc is translucent to opaque, with colors ranging from
whitish grey to green with a vitreous and pearly luster. Talc is not soluble in water, and
is slightly soluble in dilute mineral acids.[6]
Soapstone is a metamorphic rock composed predominantly of talc.

Contents

 1Etymology
 2Formation
 3Occurrence
 4Conflict mineral
 5Uses
o 5.1Sterile talc powder
 6Safety
o 6.1Industrial grade
o 6.2Food grade
o 6.3Association with asbestos
 7Litigation
 8See also
 9References

Etymology[edit]
The word "talc" derives from Medieval Latin talcum, which in turn originates
from Arabic: ‫طلق‬ ṭalq which, derives from Persian: ‫تالک‬ tālk. In ancient times, the word
was used for various related minerals, including talc, mica, and selenite.[7]

Formation[edit]

A block of talc

Talc dominantly forms from the metamorphism of magnesian minerals such

as serpentine, pyroxene, amphibole, and olivine, in the presence of carbon dioxide and
water. This is known as "talc carbonation" or "steatization" and produces a suite of rocks
known as talc carbonates.
Talc is primarily formed by hydration and carbonation by this reaction:
2 Mg3Si2O5(OH)4 + carbon dioxide3 CO2 → talcMg3Si4O10(OH)2 + magnesite3
serpentine
MgCO3 + water3 H2O
Talc can also be formed via a reaction between dolomite and silica, which is typical
of skarnification of dolomites by silica-flooding in contact metamorphic aureoles:
3 CaMg(CO3)2 + silica4 SiO2 + waterH2O → talcMg3Si4O10(OH)2 + calcite3
dolomite
CaCO3 + carbon dioxide3 CO2
Talc can also be formed from magnesian chlorite and quartz
in blueschist and eclogite metamorphism by the following metamorphic reaction:
chlorite + quartz → kyanite + talc + water
Talc is also found as a diagenetic mineral in sedimentary rocks where it can
form from the transformation of metastable hydrated magnesium-clay
precursors such as kerolite, sepiolite, or stevensite that can precipitate from
marine and lake water in certain conditions. [8]
In this reaction, the ratio of talc and kyanite depends on aluminium content,
with more aluminous rocks favoring production of kyanite. This is typically
associated with high-pressure, low-temperature minerals such
as phengite, garnet, and glaucophane within the lower blueschist facies.
Such rocks are typically white, friable, and fibrous, and are known
as whiteschist.
Talc is a trioctahedral layered mineral; its structure is similar to pyrophyllite,
but with magnesium in the octahedral sites of the composite layers. [1]

Occurrence[edit]

Talc output in 2005

Talc is a common metamorphic mineral in metamorphic belts that

contain ultramafic rocks, such as soapstone (a high-talc rock), and within
whiteschist and blueschist metamorphic terranes. Prime examples of
whiteschists include the Franciscan Metamorphic Belt of the western United
States, the western European Alps especially in Italy, certain areas of
the Musgrave Block, and some collisional orogens such as the Himalayas,
which stretch along Pakistan, India, Nepal, and Bhutan.
Talc carbonate ultramafics are typical of many areas of
the Archaean cratons, notably the komatiite belts of the Yilgarn
Craton in Western Australia. Talc-carbonate ultramafics are also known from
the Lachlan Fold Belt, eastern Australia, from Brazil, the Guiana Shield, and
from the ophiolite belts of Turkey, Oman, and the Middle East.
China is the key world talc and steatite producing country with an output of
about 2.2M tonnes(2016), which accounts for 30% of total global output. The
other major producers are Brazil (12%), India (11%), the U.S. (9%), France
(6%), Finland (4%), Italy, Russia, Canada, and Austria (2%, each). [9]
Notable economic talc occurrences include the Mount Seabrook talc mine,
Western Australia, formed upon a polydeformed, layered ultramafic intrusion.
The France-based Luzenac Group is the world's largest supplier of mined
talc. Its largest talc mine at Trimouns near Luzenac in southern France
produces 400,000 tonnes of talc per year.

Conflict mineral[edit]
Extraction in disputed areas of Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, has led the
international monitoring group Global Witness to declare talc a conflict
mineral, as the profits are used to fund armed confrontation between
the Taliban and Islamic State.[10]

Uses[edit]
 Talcum powder

The structure of talc is composed of Si2O5 sheets with magnesium sandwiched between

sheets in octahedral sites.

Talc is used in many industries, including paper making, plastic, paint and

coatings, rubber, food, electric cable, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and
ceramics. A coarse grayish-green high-talc rock is soapstone or steatite,
used for stoves, sinks, electrical switchboards, etc. It is often used for
surfaces of laboratory table tops and electrical switchboards because of its
resistance to heat, electricity and acids. In finely ground form, talc finds use
as a cosmetic (talcum powder), as a lubricant, and as a filler in paper
manufacture. It is used to coat the insides of inner tubes and rubber gloves
during manufacture to keep the surfaces from sticking. Talcum powder, with
heavy refinement, has been used in baby powder, an astringent powder used
to prevent diaper rash. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends
that parents not use baby powder because it poses a risk of respiratory
problems, including breathing trouble and serious lung damage if the baby
inhales it. The small size of the particles makes it difficult to keep them out of
the air while applying the powder. Zinc oxide-based ointments are a much
safer alternative.[11]
It is also often used in basketball to keep a player's hands dry. Most
tailor's chalk, or French chalk, is talc, as is the chalk often used
for welding or metalworking.
Talc is also used as food additive or in pharmaceutical products as a glidant.
In medicine, talc is used as a pleurodesis agent to prevent recurrent pleural
effusion or pneumothorax. In the European Union, the additive
number is E553b.
Talc may be used in the processing of white rice as a buffing agent in the
polishing stage.
Due to its low shear strength, talc is one of the oldest known solid lubricants.
Also a limited use of talc as friction-reducing additive in lubricating oils is
made.[12]
Talc is widely used in the ceramics industry in both bodies and glazes. In
low-fire art-ware bodies, it imparts whiteness and increases thermal
expansion to resist crazing. In stonewares, small percentages of talc are
used to flux the body and therefore improve strength and vitrification. It is a
source of MgO flux in high-temperature glazes (to control melting
temperature). It is also employed as a matting agent in earthenware glazes
and can be used to produce magnesia mattes at high temperatures.
ISO standard for quality (ISO 3262)

Talc content min. wt Loss on ignition at 1000 °C, Solubility in HCl, max.

Type
% wt % wt %

A 95 4 – 6.5 5

B 90 4–9 10

C 70 4–18 30

D 50 4–27 30

Patents are pending on the use of magnesium silicate as a cement

substitute. Its production requirements are less energy-intensive than
ordinary Portland cement (at a heating requirement of around 650 °C for talc
compared to 1500 °C for limestone to produce Portland cement), while it
absorbs far more carbon dioxide as it hardens. This results in a
negative carbon footprint overall, as the cement substitute removes 0.6
tonnes of CO2 per tonne used. This contrasts with a positive carbon footprint
of 0.4 tonne per tonne of conventional cement. [13]
Talc is used in the production of the materials that are widely used in the
building interiors such as base content paints in wall coatings. Other areas
that use talc to a great extent are organic agriculture, food industry,
cosmetics, and hygiene products such as baby powder and detergent
powder.
Talc is sometimes used as an adulterant to illegal heroin, to expand volume
and weight and thereby increase its street value. With intravenous use, it
may lead to pulmonary talcosis, a granulomatous inflammation in the lungs.
Sterile talc powder[edit]
Sterile talc powder (NDC 63256-200-05) is a sclerosing agent used in the
procedure of pleurodesis. This can be helpful as a cancer treatment to
prevent pleural effusions (an abnormal collection of fluid in the space
between the lungs and the thoracic wall). It is inserted into the space via a
chest tube, causing it to close up, so fluid cannot collect there. The finished
product has been sterilized by gamma irradiation.

Safety[edit]
Suspicions have been raised that talc use contributes to certain types of
disease, mainly cancers of the ovaries and lungs. Talc containing asbestos is
classified as a group 1 agent (carcinogenic to humans), talc use in the
perineal classified as group 2B (possibly carcinogenic to humans) and talc
not containing asbestos is classified as group 3 (unclassifiable as to
carcinogenicity in humans)(all in the IARC listing).[14] Reviews by Cancer
Research UK and the American Cancer Society conclude that some studies
have found a link, but other studies have not. [15][16]
The studies discuss pulmonary issues,[17] lung cancer,[18][19] and ovarian cancer.
[20]
 One of these, published in 1993, was a US National Toxicology Program
report, which found that cosmetic grade talc containing no asbestos-like
fibres was correlated with tumor formation in rats forced to inhale talc for 6
hours a day, five days a week over at least 113 weeks. [18] A 1971 paper found
particles of talc embedded in 75% of the ovarian tumors studied. [21] Research
published in 1995 and 2000 concluded that it was plausible that talc could
cause ovarian cancer, but no conclusive evidence was shown. [22]
[23]
 The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded in 2015 that talc,
in the concentrations currently used in cosmetics, is safe. [24] In 2018, Health
Canada issued a warning, advising against inhaling talcum powder or using it
in the female perineal area.[25]
Industrial grade[edit]
In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration and National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health have set occupational exposure limits to respirable talc dusts at
2 mg/m3 over an eight-hour workday. At levels of 1000 mg/m3, inhalation of
talc is considered immediately dangerous to life and health.[26]
Food grade[edit]
The United States Food and Drug Administration considers talc (magnesium
silicate) generally recognized as safe (GRAS) to use as an anticaking agent
in table salt in concentrations smaller than 2%.[27]
Association with asbestos[edit]
One particular issue with commercial use of talc is its frequent co-location in
underground deposits with asbestos ore. Asbestos is a general term for
different types of fibrous silicate minerals, desirable in construction for their
heat resistant properties.[28] There are six varieties of asbestos; the most
common variety in manufacturing, white asbestos, is in the serpentine family.
[29]
 Serpentine minerals are sheet silicates; although not in the serpentine
family, talc is also a sheet silicate, with two sheets connected by magnesium
cations. The frequent co-location of talc deposits with asbestos may result in
contamination of mined talc with white asbestos, which poses serious health
risks when dispersed into the air and inhaled. Stringent quality control since
1976, including separating cosmetic- and food-grade talc from "industrial"-
grade talc, has largely eliminated this issue, but it remains a potential hazard
requiring mitigation in the mining and processing of talc. [30] A 2010 US FDA
survey failed to find asbestos in a variety of talc-containing products. [31] A
2018 Reuters investigation asserted that pharmaceuticals company Johnson
& Johnson knew for decades that there was asbestos in its baby powder,
[32]
 and in 2020 the company stopped selling its baby powder in the US and
Canada.[33]

Litigation[edit]
In 2006 the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified talcum
powder as a possible human carcinogen if used in the female genital area.
Yet no federal agency in the US acted to remove talcum powder from the
market or add warnings.[34]
In February 2016, as the result of a lawsuit against Johnson &
Johnson (J&J), a St. Louis jury awarded $72 million to the family of an
Alabama woman who died from ovarian cancer. The family claimed that the
use of talcum powder was responsible for her cancer.
In May 2016, a South Dakota woman was awarded $55 million as the result
of another lawsuit against J&J.[35] The woman had used Johnson & Johnson's
Baby Powder for more than 35 years before being diagnosed with ovarian
cancer in 2011.[citation needed]
In October 2016, a St. Louis jury awarded $70.1 million to a Californian
woman with ovarian cancer who had used Johnson's Baby Powder for 45
years.[36]
In August 2017, a Los Angeles jury awarded $417 million to a Californian
woman, Eva Echeverria, who developed ovarian cancer as a "proximate
result of the unreasonably dangerous and defective nature of talcum
powder", her lawsuit against Johnson & Johnson stated. [37] On 20 October
2017, Los Angeles Superior Court judge Maren Nelson dismissed the verdict.
The judge stated that Echeverria proved there is "an ongoing debate in the
scientific and medical community about whether talc more probably than not
causes ovarian cancer and thus (gives) rise to a duty to warn", but not
enough to sustain the jury's imposition of liability against Johnson & Johnson
stated, and concluded that Echeverria did not adequately establish that talc
causes ovarian cancer.[38][39]
In July 2018, a court in St. Louis awarded a $4.7bn claim ($4.14bn in punitive
damages and $550m in compensatory damages) against J&J to 22 claimant
women, concluding that the company had suppressed evidence of asbestos
in its products for more than four decades.[40]
At least 1,200 to 2,000 other talcum powder-related lawsuits are pending. [36][41]

See also[edit]
 Pyrophyllite – Aluminium silicate hydroxide phyllosilicate mineral
 Sillimanite – Nesosilicate mineral
 Serpentinite – Rock formed by hydration and metamorphic transformation
of olivine

References[edit]
1. ^ Jump up to:    An Introduction to the Rock-Forming Minerals, 2 ed., by W.A. Deer, R.A.
a b

Howie, and J. Zussman, 1992, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-582-30094-0.

2. ^ Jump up to:      Anthony, John W.; Bideaux, Richard A.; Bladh, Kenneth W.; Nichols, Monte
a b c

C., eds. (1995).  "Talc"  (PDF). Handbook of Mineralogy. II (Silica, Silicates). Chantilly,

VA, US: Mineralogical Society of America.  ISBN  0962209716.
3. ^ Talc. Mindat.org
4. ^ Talc. Webmineral
5. ^ "Talc". Minerals Education Coalition.
6. ^ Profiles of Drug Substances, Excipients and Related Methodology, Volume
36 ISBN 978-0-123-87667-6 p. 283
7. ^ Harper, Douglas.  "talc". Online Etymology Dictionary.
8. ^ Strauss, Justin V.; MacDonald, Francis A.; Halverson, Galen P.; Tosca, Nicholas J.;
Schrag, Daniel P.; Knoll, Andrew H. (2015).  "Stratigraphic evolution of the
Neoproterozoic Callison Lake Formation: Linking the break-up of Rodinia to the Islay
carbon isotope excursion". American Journal of Science. American Journal of Science
(AJS).  315  (10): 881–
944.  Bibcode:2015AmJS..315..881S. doi:10.2475/10.2015.01. ISSN 0002-9599.  S2CI
D 130671089.
9. ^ Sergeeva, Anna (18 July 2018). "China, Brazil, the U.S. and India Remain the Major
Consumers on the Global Talc Market". IndexBox.
10. ^ "Talc: the everyday mineral funding Afghan insurgents". Global Witness. Retrieved 24
May 2018.
11. ^ "Is it safe to use baby powder on my baby?". Babycenter.com (2017-05-01). Retrieved
on 2017-05-06.
12. ^ Rudenko, Pavlo; Bandyopadhyay, Amit (2013). "Talc as friction reducing additive to
lubricating oil". Applied Surface Science. 276: 383–
389.  Bibcode:2013ApSS..276..383R. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2013.03.102.
13. ^ Jha, Alok (31 December 2008) Revealed: The cement that eats carbon dioxide, The
Guardian
14. ^ List of Classifications, International Agency for Research on Cancer
15. ^ Talcum powder and cancer, Cancerresearch.uk
16. ^ Talcum Powder and Cancer, American Cancer Society
17. ^ Hollinger, MA (1990). "Pulmonary toxicity of inhaled and intravenous talc".  Toxicology
Letters.  52  (2): 121–7, discussion 117–9.  doi:10.1016/0378-4274(90)90145-
C.  PMID  2198684.
18. ^ Jump up to:a b National Toxicology, Program (1993). "NTP Toxicology and Carcinogenesis
Studies of Talc (Non-Asbestiform) in Rats and Mice (Inhalation Studies)".  National
Toxicology Program Technical Report Series. 421: 1–287.  PMID  12616290.
19. ^ NIOSH Worker Notification Program.  "Health effects of mining and milling talc".
20. ^ Harlow, Cramer, Bell; et al. (1992). "Perineal exposure to talc and ovarian cancer
risk".  Obstetrics and Gynecology. 80 (1): 19–26. PMID 1603491.
21. ^ Henderson WJ, Joslin CA, Turnbull AC, Griffiths K (1971).  "Talc and carcinoma of the
ovary and cervix".  J Obstet Gynaecol Br Commonw. 78 (3): 266–
272.  doi:10.1111/j.1471-0528.1971.tb00267.x. PMID 5558843. S2CID  32300387.
22. ^ Harlow, BL; Hartge, PA (April 1995).  "A review of perineal talc exposure and risk of
ovarian cancer". Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.  21  (2): 254–
60.  doi:10.1006/rtph.1995.1039. PMID 7644715.
23. ^ Gertig, D. M.; Hunter, D. J.; Cramer, D. W.; Colditz, G. A.; Speizer, F. E.; Willett, W.
C.; Hankinson, S. E. (2 February 2000).  "Prospective Study of Talc Use and Ovarian
Cancer"  (PDF).  JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute.  92  (3): 249–
252.  doi:10.1093/jnci/92.3.249.  PMID  10655442.
24. ^ Gruber, James (November–December 2019). "Do Cosmetic Consumers Really Know
What Ingredients They Are Using? An Inquiry into the Search for the 'Truth'". Skeptical
Inquirer. 43 (6): 54.
25. ^ https://healthycanadians.gc.ca/recall-alert-rappel-avis/hc-sc/2018/68320a-eng.php
26. ^ "NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards". Centers for Disease Control and
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27. ^ "Code of Federal Regulations". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2009.
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29. ^ Plummer, Charles C.; Carlson, Diane H.; Hammersley, Lisa (22 January
2018). Physical Geology  (Sixteenth ed.).  ISBN  9781260091656.
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March2019.
31. ^ "Talc Ingredients". U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2010.
32. ^ "J&J knew for decades that asbestos lurked in its Baby Powder". Reuters.
Retrieved 15 December 2018.
33. ^ "Johnson & Johnson stops selling baby powder in US".  BBC News. 20 May 2020.
Retrieved 20 May 2020.
34. ^ "$417 Million Awarded in Suit Tying Johnson's Baby Powder to
Cancer". Nytimes.com. Retrieved 13 July  2018.
35. ^ McLean, Rob (3 May 2016).  "Johnson & Johnson just lost another talcum powder
cancer lawsuit".  CNNMoney. Retrieved  18 August 2016.
36. ^ Jump up to:a b Does baby powder cause cancer? Another jury thinks so, awarding $70
million to a California woman. LA Times (2016-10-28). Retrieved on 2017-05-06.
37. ^ Jury awards $417M in lawsuit linking talcum powder to cancer. The Chronicle Herald
(21 August 2017)
 38. ^ Bellon, Tina.  "California judge tosses $417 million talc cancer verdict
against..." Reuters. Retrieved  13 July 2018.
39. ^ Frankel, Alison. "Dismissal of $417 million verdict v. J&J is disaster for
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40. ^ Butler, Sarah (13 July 2018). "Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $4.7bn in talc
powder claim".  The Guardian. Retrieved  13 July 2018.
41. ^ Woman wins $55M verdict against Johnson & Johnson in cancer suit. NY Daily News
(3 May 2016)

The name "Kaolinite" is derived from kaolin, which in Chinese is "Kau-ling" referring to a high ridge
close to the town of Jingdezhen in Jiang Xi Province, China, where extensive white kaolin deposits
were most possibly initially mined. Kaolinite remains the dominant dioctahedral 1:1 clay mineral in
kaolin; and it also occurs in a wide variety of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks together with
ancillary minerals such as feldspar, quartz, smectite and goethite. It is commonly found in soils
within the tropics; with soil kaolinite being usually smaller in particle size compared to kaolinite in
ores and rocks. Its formation could be primary (hydrothermal, residual, or mixed hydrothermal and
residual) or secondary (associated with sedimentary environments). The most reliable technique
applied to mineralogically identify kaolinite is X-ray diffractometry, and its theoretical chemical
composition is Al2Si2O5(OH)4. Generally surface mined as the main mineral component in kaolin,
its properties have a direct bearing on its usage. Kaolinite physico-chemical properties (pH, particle
morphology and orientation, particle size, surface area, relative density, color, hardness, melting
point, and refractive index) are diagnostic i

ndicators for possible usage; and the technological properties (surface and colloid chemistry, and
functional and optical properties) influence the different applications of the mineral. Major uses of
kaolinite are in the paper and paint industries. It is also used in the making of plastics, rubber, and as
ink extender. The ceramic and construction industries have wide utilization of kaolinite in the making
of tiles, bricks, foundry, roofing granules, figurines, kitchenwares and sanitarywares. In the
agricultural industry, kaolinite in soils enhances soil fertility; and it is used in fertilizers, fruit and
vegetable protection, and in insecticides and pesticides. Kaolinite is also gainfully utilized in the food
industry as additive, spray coatings and fillers. It is equally used in the medicinal and pharmaceutical
industries. With increasing advancement in technology and the implementation of novel applications
of the mineral, any kaolinitic deposit is worth exploiting. In several of its applications, tailor made
beneficiation exercises may have to be carried out to improve the desired mineral quality.

Kaolin, also called china clay, soft white clay that is an essential ingredient

in the manufacture of china and porcelain and is widely used in the making of
paper, rubber, paint, and many other products. Kaolin is named after the hill
in China (Kao-ling) from which it was mined for centuries. Samples of kaolin
were first sent to Europe by a French Jesuit missionary around 1700 as
examples of the materials used by the Chinese in the manufacture of
porcelain.

READ MORE ON THIS TOPIC

clay mineral: Kaolin-serpentine group

Minerals of this groups are 1:1 layer silicates. Their basic unit of structure consists

of tetrahedral and octahedral sheets in which the...

In its natural state kaolin is a white, soft powder consisting principally of the
mineral kaolinite, which, under the electron microscope, is seen to consist of
roughly hexagonal, platy crystals ranging in size from about 0.1 micrometre to
10 micrometres or even larger. These crystals may take vermicular and
booklike forms, and occasionally macroscopic forms approaching millimetre
size are found. Kaolin as found in nature usually contains varying amounts of
other minerals such as muscovite, quartz, feldspar, and anatase. In addition,
crude kaolin is frequently stained yellow by iron hydroxide pigments. It is
often necessary to bleach the clay chemically to remove the iron pigment and
to wash it with water to remove the other minerals in order to prepare kaolin
for commercial use.

kaolinite
Kaolinite.
Mineral Information Institute

When kaolin is mixed with water in the range of 20 to 35 percent, it becomes

plastic (i.e., it can be molded under pressure), and the shape is retained after
the pressure is removed. With larger percentages of water, the kaolin forms a
slurry, or watery suspension. The amount of water required to achieve
plasticity and viscosity varies with the size of the kaolinite particles and also
with certain chemicals that may be present in the kaolin. Kaolin has been
mined in France, England, Saxony (Germany), Bohemia (Czech Republic), and
in the United States, where the best-known deposits are in the southeastern
states.
Approximately 40 percent of the kaolin produced is used in the filling and
coating of paper. In filling, the kaolin is mixed with the cellulose fibre and
forms an integral part of the paper sheet to give it body, colour, opacity, and
printability. In coating, the kaolin is plated along with an adhesive on the
paper’s surface to give gloss, colour, high opacity, and greater printability.
Kaolin used for coating is prepared so that most of the kaolinite particles are
less than two micrometres in diameter.

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Kaolin is used extensively in the ceramic industry, where its high fusion

temperature and white burning characteristics makes it particularly suitable
for the manufacture of whiteware (china), porcelain, and refractories. The
absence of any iron, alkalies, or alkaline earths in the molecular structure of
kaolinite confers upon it these desirable ceramic properties. In the
manufacture of whiteware the kaolin is usually mixed with approximately
equal amounts of silica and feldspar and a somewhat smaller amount of a
plastic light-burning clay known as ball clay. These components are necessary
to obtain the proper properties of plasticity, shrinkage, vitrification, etc., for
forming and firing the ware. Kaolin is generally used alone in the manufacture
of refractories.