Kaolin
Kaolin, or China clay, is nearly white in color. It is distinguished from other
industrial clays based on its fine particle size and pure coloring. Its ability to
disperse in water make it an ideal pigment. Kaolin is derived from the mineral
Kaolinite which comes from the Earth's crust. It is an aluminum silicate
represented as Al
2
O
3
-2Si
O
2-2H
2
O.
The primary constituent in kaolin is the mineral kaolinite, a hydrous aluminum
silicate formed by the decomposition of minerals such as feldspar.
Industrial Applications
Kaolin is used in a multiplicity of industries because of unique physical and
chemical properties. Shape, particle size, color, softness, and non-abrasiveness are
physical properties that are especially important. Chemical properties, such as
comparatively low base exchange capacity, as well as other chemical properties of
the kaolin surface, and relative insolubility, are governing in many uses.
Paper Industry: The primary use of kaolin is in the paper industry. It serves as a
paper coating which improves appearance by contributing to brightness,
smoothness and gloss. It also improves printability. Additionally, it is used by the
paper industry as a filler reducing cost and the use of tree-based resources.
The largest single user of kaolin is the paper industry because when kaolin is used,
paper products print better and are made whiter and smoother. Kaolin used as a
filler in the interstices of the sheet adds ink receptivity and opacity to the paper
sheet. Kaolin used to coat the surface of the paper sheet makes possible sharp
photographic illustrations and bright printed colors. Kaolin constitutes nearly one-
third the weight of today's slick sheet magazines.
Ceramic Industry:
Kaolin is used in ceramic whiteware products, insulators, and refractories. In
whitewares, kaolin aids accurate control of molding properties, and adds dry and
fired strength, dimensional stability, and a smooth surface finish to the ware. The
excellent dielectric properties and chemical inertness of kaolin make it well suited
for porcelain electrical insulators. In refractory applications, the dimensional
stability, high fusion point, and low water content, along with high green strength,
make kaolin an important constituent.
Paint Industries
Kaolin is used in paint industry because it is chemically inert and insoluble in the
paint system, has a high covering power, gives the paint desirable flow properties
and is low in cost.
Rubber Industries
Kaolin is used as a filler in many rubber goods. It adds strength, abrasion
resistance, and rigidity to both natural and synthetic rubber products. In general,
most rubber products extrude more easily after kaolin filler is added. The major
reason that kaolin is used in rubber compounds is its whiteness and low cost.
Although kaolin costs less than most other rubber pigments, it has excellent
functional properties.
Other Uses: Kaolin has a variety of other uses in products including cable
insulation, specialty films and fertilizers, glass fiber, white cement and refractory
insulation bricks.. New uses are being discovered frequently, and ensure that the
mineral will remain in demand for a long time.
Kaolin in Jordan
Kaolin is white, soft, plastic clay mainly
composed of the fine-grained platy mineral
kaolinite; a white hydrous aluminum silicate,
Al
2
Si
2
O
5
(OH)
4
, containing 23.5% alumina,
46.5% silica, and 14% water.
It is used in the manufacturing of white-ware
ceramics and in filling and coating of paper. It
is also used as filler in paints, rubber, plastics
and many other productions.
Geological Setting
Kaolin deposits are exposed in four main localities in south Jordan; Batn El-Ghul,
Al Mudawwara, Al-Hiswa and Umm Sahm areas. Both Batn El-Ghul and Hiswa
have been exploited in few quantities. Kaolin is still not exploited in Mudawwara
and Umm Sahm areas. The four deposits are of Ordovician age. Locally, both Batn
El-Ghul and Al-Mudawwara deposits belong to Batra Mudstone Member of
Mudawwara Formation and Al-Hiswa deposit belongs to Al-Hiswa Sandstone
Formation.
Location and Reserve
Area
Location
Reserve (mt)
Batn El-Ghul
70km SE of Ma’an about 280 km south of
Amman
1100
Al Mudawwara
120 km SE of Ma’an, about 10 km east of Al-
Mudawwara police station
9700
Al Hiswa
45 km east of Al-Quwayra town, close to Al-
Hiswa railway station
54
Um Sahm
40 km southeast of Ad Disa town
1090
Chemical properties
Area
Al
2
O
3
%
SiO
2
%
Fe
2
O
3
%
max.
min.
max.
min.
max.
min.
Batn El Ghul
25.37
14.01
68.32
47.79
8.37
4.05
Al-Mudawwara
27.54
13.36
70.20
41.87
10.54
4.54
Al-Hiswa
29.27
12.94
78.88
49.04
9.09
1.15
Dubaydib/Um Sahm
24.70
17.0
61.97
49.04
11.04
3.5
Investment Opportunities
Investment is open in areas, which have huge reserves of kaolin as Batn El
Ghul, Mudawwara and Dubaydib/Umm Sahm areas.
Jordan is one of the less well-known ceramics manufacturing bases in the
Middle East. However, the kaolin producers have enhanced their position on
the global stage due to a steadily expanding domestic market and a program of
product improvement.
Cement industry is one of the most important factors in the Jordanian mining
sector. Thus, it depends solely on the domestic natural minerals as raw
materials such as kaolin. There is a rapid growth in local cement market due to
the increase of construction industry in Jordan and neighboring countries.
Artistic Ceramic Ware: It is worth mentioning that in Jordan today there are
many shops producing artistic ware such as simple vases, statues, murals and
oriental dishes, many of which are decorated with holy pictures. There is also a
growing demand for these items by the increasing amount of tourists that are
flocking to the country.
Virtually all of these artistic ware suppliers are small-scale concerns and as
such depend heavily on the country’s large factories to assist with the
processing of their raw materials and supply of glazes and other decorative
materials. To date this system has been working well, but the increasing
prevalence of cut-price ornamental ware from China is just starting to have an
effect on the viability of some of these smallest craft shops.
Tableware and Kitchenware: This industry nearly does not exist. It is restricted
to what manufactured with artistic ware.
Stoneware (Pipes and Tiles): The usability phase of Geo industria
technological work (2000) resulted in verification of the suitability of Batn el
Ghoul deposit sequence as ceramic clay for production of the stoneware
assortment, i.e. stoneware pipes, and stoneware floor tiles namely. Two
qualitative clay types are present in Batn el Ghoul, with low Fe2O3 content
(white clay stone) and high Fe2O3 content (mottled clay stone). The white clay
stone can be easily separated by means of hand sorting of bulks and fragments
of the mined clay stone mottled layer. Because of the light colored and non-
vitreous body after burning, white clays are classified as ceramic clay suitable
for alumina white ware production. The red colored portion of the clay stone
mottled layer remains in quality of the raw material suitable for the stoneware
production.
Note: For More Information
and inquiry can be contacted at the following address:
Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources:
memr@memr.gov.jo
Projects Management Unit: E-mail:
consultant@memr.gov.jo
Investment and Marketing Div.: E-mail:
Marwan.Madanat@
memr.gov.jo
Document Outline - Industrial Applications
- Kaolin is used in a multiplicity of industries because of unique physical and chemical properties. Shape, particle size, color, softness, and non-abrasiveness are physical properties that are especially important. Chemical properties, such as comparat...
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