Kaolin

KAOLIN is an odorless white to yellowish or grayish powder. Contains mainly the clay mineral kaolinite (Al2O3(SiO2)2(H2O)2), a hydrous aluminosilicate. Kaolinite has MP 740-1785°C and density 2.65 g/cm3. Kaolin is insoluble in water but darkens and develops an earthy odor when wet.

It is a mixture consisting principally of the mineral kaolinite and containing varying amounts of other minerals such as muscovite, quartz, feldspar, and anatase. Also known as china clay, kaolin is a soft white clay that is an essential ingredient in the manufacture of china and porcelain and is widely used in the making of paper, rubber, paint, drying agents, and many other products. It has a role as an excipient and an antidiarrheal drug. It contains a kaolinite.