WoldWide Drilling Resource

Kaolinite is a layered silicate clay mineral. It forms from the chemical weathering of feldspar or other aluminum silicate minerals, and is usually white, with an occasional red color impurity due to iron oxide, as well as blue or brown due to other impurities. Kaolinite is ideal for many industrial applications because it has a low shrink-swell capacity and a low cation (positive charged ion)-exchange capacity. The largest use of kaolinite is in the pro- duction of paper, and used to control the gloss in certain grades of paper. Another common use of kaolinite is in porcelain. Kaolin is the main ingredient of porcelain, which is sometimes known as China because of where porce- lain was first made. Kaolinite is also used in ceramics, light bulbs, paint, rubber, adhesives, smoking pipes, white wash in masonry, absorbents, soap, cosmetics, and toothpaste. Within organic farming, kaolinite is used as a form of pest control. It is an active ingredient within medicines for diarrhea, nausea, and other digestive issues. In some cultures, it has even been used to suppress hunger. Kyanite is one of the most attractive blue minerals in nature. It is used to manufacture a wide range of products. One im- portant use is in the manufacturing of refractory products such as the bricks, mortars, and kiln furniture used in high-temperature furnaces, as well as the molds used for cast- ing high-temperature metals. It is present in products used in the automotive and railroad industries where heat resistance is important. Mullite, a form of calcined kyanite, is used to make brake shoes and clutch facings. Kyanite's heat resistance and hardness make the mineral an excellent material for use in the manufacture of grinding wheels and cutting wheels. While it is not used as the primary abrasive, it is used as part of the binding agent, holding the abrasive parti- cles together in the shape of a wheel. The properties of kyanite also make it well suited for the manufacture of a high-refractory-strength porcelain - a porcelain which holds its strength at very high temperatures. This type of porcelain is used for the white porcelain insulator on a spark plug. Kyanite is also used in some of the more common forms of porcelain, such as those used to make dentures, sinks, and bathroom fixtures. 15 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® JULY 2019 The World of Minerals MIN