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Typecodes
Formula: Al2O3.2SiO2 or Al2Si2O5(OH)4
Chemistry %
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Volatiles %
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| DENS - Density (Specific Gravity) | 2.62 |
| MLPT - Melting Point (MP) | 1770C M |
A huge array of kaolin products are available. These vary in plasticity, crystal and surface chemistry, particle shape and size, flow properties, permeability, etc.
Pure kaolin is the clay of choice for bodies that need to be clean and white. Many porcelains contain only a kaolin mix as their clay complement. But kaolins have relatively low plasticity when compared to other raw clay types. Thus in non-casting plastic forming bodies it is often not possible to achieve enough plasticity employing kaolin alone. Additions of ball clays, bentonites and other plasticizers are thus common. Where translucency and whiteness are paramount, highly plastic kaolins and white burning ball clays and bentonites can be used .
Because kaolinite mineral has a much larger particle size than ball clay and bentonite materials, blending it with them in bodies can produce a good cross section of ultimate particle sizes (this imparts enhanced working and drying properties). Another advantage of the larger particle size of kaolins is that they are much more permeable to the passage of water. Thus kaolins, especially the larger sized ones, speed up casting rates in slurry bodies and drying rates in all bodies.
Kaolins are employed in glaze recipes to keep the silica, feldspar, frit and other particles from settling out (the surface chemistry of the particles and their interaction with water are responsible for this behavior). At the same time the oxide chemistry of kaolin makes it the primary source of alumina oxide for glazes.
Kaolin is a very refractory aluminum silicate. Kaolin-based bodies are used to make all kinds of refractory parts for industry. Kiln wash is often made from 50:50 mix of kaolin and silica. Cordierite is made mainly from kaolin. High heat duty grogs are made by calcining kaolin.
Kaolin is used in many industries other than ceramics, in fact the ceramics industry uses only a small amount of the total kaolin produced. Kaolin companies tend to be billion-dollar operations and kaolin is used in everything from paper to cosmetics, paint to agricultural products.
If you use kaolin in your production there is good reason to be doing routine quality control to make sure it is remaining consistent. Kaolins can sometimes have particulate impurities (can cause firing specks) and exhibit differences in soluble salts content, drying shrinkage, drying performance and behavior in slurries. Clays are often the most variable material that production departments have to deal with.
Kaolin transforms to mullite above 1000C, this is a key factor in the micro structure of porcelain and other types of bodies. This transformation is also exploited in engobes.
Mechanisms
Body Plasticity - Porcelain, Whtieware Bodies
It is possible to make a plastic throwing body using 50% kaolin only, however you must choose one of the highly plastic varieties such as #6 Tile. Even then you will likely need a little bentonite to augment the kaolin. There is a huge range in kaolin plasticities, test for yourself to find out.
Glaze Suspender - General
Kaolin is the most common glaze suspender. Depending on the type of kaolin used, 15-20% should be enough. Many fritted glazes are composed solely of frit and kaolin. Some kaolins make the glaze gel, this is a helpful additional mechanism to keep it suspended.
Out Bound Links
Clay
Clays occur when parent clay-making rocks (there a...
Kaolin - Al2O3.2SiO2 or Al2Si2O5(OH)4 - Hydrated alumina silicate, Pure clay mineralChina Clay
Kaolin at Wikipedia.com
Kaolin
1: GNM - Generic Material
1: KAO - Kaolin
Information at Kaolin.com
Generic
Generic for building a completely custom MDT. Only...
Europe
Countries of Eastern Europe and former Soviet Unio...
Australia
We are working on this database and would apprecia...
Asia
All of Asia including Turkey, Russia, Indosnesia, ...
Kaolinite
The most fundamental clay mineral. It is weathered...
Porcelain
A normally white burning clay body (unless stained...
SHAB - Shrinkage/Absorption
SIEV - Sieve Analysis 35-325 Wet
Africa
All of continental Africa. We are working on this ...
Latin and South America
Latin America and South America. We are working on...
New Zealand
We are working on this database and would apprecia...
North America
The decision about what materials to include in th...
UK
We are working on this database and would apprecia...
Glass Industry
The materials included in this MDT were selected i...
In Bound Links
Ajax P Kaolin
Allen G Kaolin
Ajax Glomax Kaolin
A Kaolin
Masterfil Kaolin
600 Kaolin
Albion Sperse - Kaolin
Avery Kaolin
B Kaolin
Bell Kaolin
Puraflo 50 Kaolin - China clay, KaolinPuraflow 50 China Clay
C Kaolin
Calcined Kaolin - Al2O3.2SiO2Cal Kaolin
CC China Clay - Devon China Clay
CC31 China Clay - Devon China ClayKaolin CC31
Ceraclay WTC Kaolin
WTD KaolinCeraclay WTD
CF Kaolin
D Kaolin
Diamond Kaolin - Secondary Intermediate Psd
E KaolinKaolin E
English Kaolin - Al2O3.SiO2 - White Burning High Flux Kaolin
EP Kaolin - Plastic White Firing KaolinEPK, Edgar Plastic Kaolin, EPK Kaolin
Ewing Kaolin
F. C. Kaolin - COARSE GRAINED GEORGIA KAOLIN
Glomax LL Calcined Kaolin - Calcined KaolinGlomax Kaolin, Ajax Glomax Kaolin
Grolleg Kaolin - Fine White Burning English Kaolin, English China ClayGrolleg China Clay
Gunheath Kaolin
Hamilton Kaolin - Legacy kaolin
Helmer Kaolin - Helmer clayHelmar Kaolin
Hillman Kaolin
Hong Kong Kaolin
IXL 34E - KAOLINIZED SAND
IXL 34E/F 95 - KAOLINIZED SAND
IXL RE - KAOLINIZED SAND
JHC White Kaolin - ONTARIO KAOLIN
K1 Kaolin
K50 Kaolin
Kamec Kaolin - Originally from Harris Mining Co. or Kaolin, Inc.
Kampaku Kaolin
Kaolin - Al2O3.2SiO2 or Al2Si2O5(OH)4 - Hydrated alumina silicate, Pure clay mineralChina Clay
Kaolin Slurry
Kaolin, Wilclay WC - WHITE AIRFLOATED KAOLIN
Kaopaque 20 Kaolin - White Non Plastic Delaminated KaolinKaopaque, Kaopaque Kaolin
Kingsley Kaolin
KMS Kaolin
Korean Kaolin
KT-Cast Kaolin
LG Kaolin
LPC KaolinCeraclay LPC
Mastercast Kaolin
Masterfloat Kaolin
McNamee Kaolin - South Carolina Kaolin
Monarch Kaolin
No. 50 China Clay - Devon China Clay
NSC Kaolin
Peerless 2 Kaolin - Casting kaolinPeerless China Clay, Peerless Kaolin
Pioneer Kaolin - Medium plasticity kaolinGeorgia Kaolin
Piopot Kaolin
Pleyber S Kaolin
Putnam Kaolin
Putnam S Kaolin
Qc China Clay - Devon China Clay
Rampant BB Kaolin - AUSTRALIAN KAOLIN
Remblend Kaolin - Englsih Kaolin
Rogers Kaolin
SA-1 Kaolin
SAF Kaolin
Samson Kaolin
Sapphire Kaolin - Secondary Fine Particle KaolinSaphire Kaolin, Saphhire Kaolin
Snobrite Kaolin - White Burning Kaolin
Standard Porcelain Kaolin - A white burning high strength Cornish kaolinEnglish Standard Porcelain, Eng Stn Porc, Standard Porcelain China Clay
Stannon Kaolin
Tile #6 Kaolin - Highly Plastic Fine GrainedTile 6, Tile#6 Kaolin
Treviscoe Kaolin - A white burning high strength Cornish kaolinTreviscoe China Clay
Plainsman Troy Clay - Kaolin, Halloysite
Velvacast Kaolin - Large Particle Size KaolinVelva Cast
WC-5 Kaolin
Wilclay CR Kaolin - WHITE AIRFLOATED KAOLIN
Wilclay WC Kaolin - WHITE AIRFLOATED KAOLIN
Wilson Kaolin
WS Kaolin
KAOLIN-SERPENTINE
Lampang Kaolin - Thai Kaolin from Lampang City
Zedlec Kaolin - Unknown
Delta Kaolin
Kaolex D-6 Kaolin
Laguna #1 Kaolin
Snocal 707 KaolinSnowcal Kaolin
Grade C Kaolin - English KaolinC Grade Kaolin
Sovereign Kaolin - English Kaolin
Kaolin Natural BP - English Kaolin
Speswhite Kaolin - English Kaolin
Super Standard Porcelain - White burning high strength Cornish kaolinSuper Standard Porcelain Kaolin
Stockalite Kaolin - English kaolin
Supreme Kaolin - English Kaolin
Topaz Kaolin - No longer available, was made by ECCI
DB Float Kaolin - American Kaolin
Allen Kaolin
James Bay Stn KaolinJamesBay Stn
JB Kaolin
Kaolin 111Kaolen 111
Kaolin 113Kaolen 113
Kaolin 114Kaolen 114
Kaolin 115Kaolen 115
Kaolin 143Kaolen 143
Kaolin 151Kaolen 151
Kaolin 171Kaolen 171
D'ARVOR Kaolin - Very plastic kaolin
H-1 Kaolin - Originally from Harris Mining Co.
Sparks Kaolin - Originally from Harris Mining Co.Sparks Clay
609 Kaolin
Layton ClayLayton Kaolin
1431 Kaolin - Ivory burning legacy kaolin
1433 Kaolin - Ivory burning legacy kaolin
1434 Kaolin - Ivory burning legacy kaolin
1479 Kaolin - White burning legacy kaolin
38 Kaolin - Ivory burning legacy kaolin
Klondike Kaolin - Legacy white kaolin from Edgar Bros. Co.
VC-1 Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Paper Makers Co.
A-1 Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Paper Makers Co.
Richardsons Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Paper Makers Co.
M+M China Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Paper Makers Co.M + M, M & M, M&M
M.G.R. Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Moore & MungerMGR Kaolin, M. G. R. Kaolin
M.W.M. Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Moore & MungerMWM Kaolin, M. W. M. Kaolin
No. 44 Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Moore & MungerNo 44 Kaolin, #44 Kaolin
No. 17 Kaolin - Legacy kaolin from Moore & MungerNo 17 Kaolin, #17 Kaolin
372 Kaolin Kaolin - Legacy kaolinNo. 372 Kaolin, Kaolin 372
Dixie Clay - SOUTH CAROLINA KAOLIN
Langford Kaolin - SOUTH CAROLINA KAOLIN
Bilt-Cote Kaolin - SOUTH CAROLINA KAOLIN
PAR Kaolin - SOUTH CAROLINA KAOLIN
Snocal 40 - Yorkshire English Whiting
Peerless 3 Kaolin - Casting kaolinPeerless China Clay, Peerless Kaolin
Sterling Kaolin
Kernick Kaolin - English kaolin
Al2O3 - Aluminum Oxide, Alumina
1: KAO - Kaolin
Zettlitzer Kaolin
SiO2 - Silicon Dioxide, Silica
Plasticity
This term is used in reference to clays and their ...
Ceramic Materials Overview
The study of ceramic materials is at the center of...
Ball Clay - Highly Plastic Fine Particle Clay
Troubleshooting Ceramic Process Problems and Links
It important to be in control of your process and ...
Caolín Gris (Cuba) - Cuban kaolin
Caolín Damanueco (Cuba) - Cuban kaolin
Caolín Mantua (Cuba) - Cuban kaolin
Caolín Blanco (Cuba) - Cuban kaolin
Caolín Santa Elena (Cuba) - Cuban kaolin


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