kaolinite (redirected from Kaolinlte)

kaolinite (kā`əlĭnīt), clay mineral crystallizing in the monoclinic system and forming the chief constituent of china clay and kaolin. It is a hydrous aluminum silicate commonly formed by the weathering and decomposition of rocks containing aluminum silicate compounds; feldspar is a chief source. Kaolinite has the same chemical composition as dickite and nacrite (both of which are also clay or kaolin minerals) but differs from them in origin, in optical properties, in reaction to heat, and in certain other physical properties. Kaolinite is the basic raw material for ceramics, and large quantities are also used in the manufacture of coated paper.

---

kaolinite

Group of common clay minerals that are hydrous aluminum silicates and constitute the principal ingredients of kaolin (china clay). The group includes kaolinite, dickite, nacrite, halloysite, and allophane. They are natural alteration products of feldspars, feldspathoids, and other silicates.

---

kaolinite [′kā·ə·lə‚nīt]

(mineralogy)

Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄A common hydrous aluminum silicate mineral found in sediments, soils, hydrothermal deposits, and sedimentary rocks. It is a member of the kaolin group of minerals, which include dickite, halloysite, nacrite, ordered kaolinite, and disordered kaolinite.