PRODUCT: KAOLIN
Kaolin (Kaolinite) is a clay mineral with the chemical composition Al2Si2O5(OH)4. It is a layered silicate mineral, with one tetrahedral sheet linked through oxygen atoms to one octahedral sheet of alumina octahedra.[3] Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as china clay or kaolin.The name is derived from Gaoling or Kao-Ling ("High Hill") in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China.[4] Kaolinite was first described as a mineral species in 1867 for an occurrence in the Jari River basin of Brazil.[5]
Kaolinite is one of the most common minerals; it is mined, as kaolin, in Brazil, France, United Kingdom, Germany, India, Australia, Korea, the People's Republic of China, the Czech Republic, and the United States.
Kaolinite has a low shrink-swell capacity and a low cation exchange capacity (1-15 meq/100g.) It is a soft, earthy, usually white mineral (dioctahedral phyllosilicate clay), produced by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar. In many parts of the world, it is colored pink-orange-red by iron oxide, giving it a distinct rust hue. Lighter concentrations yield white, yellow or light orange colours. Alternating layers are sometimes found, as at Providence Canyon State Park in Georgia, USA.
Kaolin grades can enhance:
- Opacity
- Mud crack resistance
- Scrub resistance
- Corrosion resistance
- Resistance to chalking, in many paint formulations.
Usage of Kaolin in plastics and rubber applications are vital due to it's particle shape and inertness. Main applications are rubber, thermoplastic elastomers, etc.
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