Kaolinite

The name is derived from a village near Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province, China. The name entered English in 1727 from the French version of the word: "kaolin." Kaolinite has a low shrink-swell capacity and a low cation exchange capacity. It is a soft, earthy, usually white mineral (dioctahedral phyllosilicate clay), produced by the chemical weathering of aluminum silicate minerals like feldspar. In many parts of the world, it is colored pink-orange-red by iron oxide, giving it a rust hue. Kaolin is used in ceramics, medicine, coated paper, as a food additive in toothpaste, as a light diffusing material in white incandescent light bulbs, and in cosmetics. It is generally the main component in procelain. It is also used in paint to extend titanium dioxide (TiO2) and modify gloss levels; in rubber for semi-reinforcing properties; and in adhesives to modify rheology. It was long used in the production of common smoking pipes in Europe and Asia. The largest use is in the production of paper, including ensuring the gloss on some grades of paper. Commercial grades of kaolin are supplied and transported as dry powder, semi-dry noodle or as liquid slurry. It can contain traces of uranium and thorium which is then useful in radiological dating. Can be seen in organic farming, as a spray applied to crops to deter insect damage. Kaolinite is predominantly in tropical soils. Kaolin Mine in Russia
 * Kaolinite** is a [|clay mineral], part of the group of [|industrial minerals] , with the chemical composition [|Al] 2 [|Si] 2 [|O] 5( [|OH] )4. It is a layered [|silicate mineral] , with one [|tetrahedral] sheet linked through [|oxygen] [|atoms] to one [|octahedral] sheet of [|alumina] octahedra. [|[4]] Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as **kaolin** or **china clay**