Kaolin, << KAY uh lihn, >> is a pure white clay made of feldspar that has decomposed. It consists of the mineral kaolinite. Kaolin occurs as a fine powder made of tiny platelike crystals. It is widely used for making the highest grades of pottery. The word kaolin comes from a Chinese word meaning high hill. Kaolin is also called china clay and porcelain clay. Important kaolin-producing countries include China, the Czech Republic, India, the United States, and Uzbekistan. Georgia produces more kaolin, by far, than any other U.S. state. Other kaolin-producing states include Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina.
Kaolin is either mined dry with a shovel, or dislodged with jets of water and sucked into a pump system. Then it is washed and put through separation processes to remove sand, mica, and iron-oxide impurities. Excess water is then removed, and the clay is formed into cakes that are dried and shipped to potteries. Kaolin is also used in textiles, as a coating for paper, and as a filler for rubber tires.
