Kaolinite

Physical properties

Habit: platy, massive.
Color: white, brownish white, grayish white, yellowish white, or grayish green.
Diaphaneity: transparent to translucent.
Luster: earthy (i.e., dull).
Streak: white.
Cleavage: (001) perfect.
Fracture: flexible.

Uses

Kaolinite can be used:

• In the preparation of of polysialate polymers.
• To prepare mullite composites by sintering kaolinite and alumina.
• To synthesize microporous materials such as zeolite Linde Type A (LTA) and kaoline based silicoaluminophosphate (SAPO) molecular sieves.
• In the synthesis of terbium pyridine-picolinate grafted kaoline, as a luminescent hybrid material.
• As a filler and a coating pigment in the paper industry.