Why is kaolin widely used?
Published: 2022-05-11
Kaolin is a non-metallic mineral with pure white and fine texture, soft soil and good fire resistance and plasticity. Kaolin is widely used in refractories, ceramics, papermaking and other fields. Secondly, it is used in pencil, daily cosmetics, soap, pesticide, medicine, textile, petroleum, chemical industry, building materials, national defense and other industrial departments.
High whiteness and purity. For ceramic raw materials, the whiteness after calcination is more important. The higher the whiteness, the better the quality.
Particle size distribution of kaolin. Particle size distribution refers to the proportion (expressed in percentage) of particles in natural kaolin in a given continuous different particle size range (expressed in mm or micron mesh). The particle size distribution characteristics of kaolin are of great significance for ore washability and process application. Its particle size has a great influence on its plasticity, mud viscosity, ion exchange capacity, molding performance, drying performance and combustion performance.
Plasticity of kaolin. The mud formed by the combination of kaolin and water can deform under the action of external force. After the external force is removed, the nature of this deformation can still be maintained, that is, plasticity. Plasticity is not only the basis of kaolin forming process in ceramic body, but also the main process and technical index.
Fire resistance of kaolin. Fire resistance refers to the ability of kaolin to withstand high temperature and not melt. When the high-temperature operation softens and begins to melt, the temperature is called fire resistance.
Kaolin has strong acid resistance, but its alkali resistance is poor. Using this property, it can be used to synthesize molecular sieves.
High quality kaolin has good electrical insulation and can be used to make high-frequency porcelain and wireless porcelain. Electrical insulation performance can be measured by its resistance to electric breakdown.
In recent years, with the rapid development of modern science and technology, kaolin is more and more widely used. Some high-tech fields began to use kaolin as a new material, even high-temperature porcelain for atomic reactors, space shuttles and spacecraft.