All About Kaolin

Kaolin Clay for Industrial Specialties

VALUE FROM THE GROUND UP

Value From the Ground Up

Welcome to KaMin LLC — a new company with a 70-year tradition of exploring, mining and processing kaolin clay. Originally part of the J.M. Huber Corporation, today, we are a portfolio company of IMin Partners — an owner of specialty minerals and chemical businesses.

So, what is new about KaMin LLC? In

plants, our technicians in the lab and

addition to new ownership, we have a

our customer service representatives

new company name and product names,

who coordinate your shipments. This

a new headquarters in Macon, Georgia,

team of world-class professionals works

and, most importantly, a renewed focus.

tirelessly to continuously improve our

At KaMin, LLC, kaolin clay is our only

processes and optimize our equipment

product. With no other product lines to

and efficiencies. We are committed

distract us, our entire organization is

to creating the greatest value possible

committed to making KaMin the

for you.

company that customers think of first when they think of kaolin clay.

As the kaolin clay experts, we operate at the intersection of nature and

We’re energized about our new identity

technology. The chemistry of your

and our singular focus, but we suspect

formulations may be complex, but

that you may be more pleased about

your choice of kaolin clay supplier is

what hasn’t changed. We have the

easy — KaMin.

same great products, the same great

KaMin’s plants are

plants, the same great people and the

strategically located

same great service. Our goal is still your total satisfaction, all of the time.

in Georgia’s Kaolin Belt, one of the most desirable commercial

A partnership with KaMin means value from the ground up. This means we go out of our way to find the very best people in every discipline, including the geologists in our exploration department, the engineers in our

deposits of kaolin clay in the world, because of its purity and unique morphology.

MACON Manufactures the most industrial products among the kaolin plants 1

Processes: – Ozonation and magnetic separation (pioneered by KaMin)

sandersville Processes: – Ozonation and magnetic separation (pioneered by KaMin)

wrens Processes: – Chemical separation (pioneered and patented) for fine particle processing

– Chemical separation

– Proprietary milling process

2

3

– High-speed centrifugation

– Surface treatment capabilities

– High speed centrifugation

– Flotation

– Calcination technology

– Calcination technology

– Calcination technology

– Surface treatment capabilities – Corporate Headquarters and Research & Development

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The Origin of Kaolinite Kaolin is one of the most common minerals on earth, but deposits of commercial size and purity are relatively rare.

Seventy million years ago, the Atlantic

primary and sedimentary crude kaolin

coastline stretched from Columbus to

clay exhibit different physical

Augusta, and the southern part of

properties. Primary kaolin is coarse in

Georgia was covered by the sea. The sea

particle size and is very platy. The platy

wore down the Piedmont Rocks and

nature results in very high aspect

deposited a variety of minerals,

ratios. Primary deposits in Georgia can

including an abundance of kaolinite,

respond favorably to traditional

along the former coastline, in what we

brightness beneficiation, while the

refer to today as Georgia’s kaolin belt.

primary deposits found in the United

Particle Morphology of Various Minerals

Kingdom do not respond as well to brightness beneficiation. Sedimentary kaolin deposits represent

Aspect Ratio

Example

the majority of the kaolin clay that is

Cube

1

Zirconia, Flourite, Halite, Pyrite, Feldspar

mined in Georgia. Sedimentary kaolin

Sphere

1

Plastic, Glass, Latex Sphere

and less platy in nature when

Block

1–4

Anatase, Quartz, Barite, Calcite

Plate

4 – 30

Kaolin, Talc, Pyrophyllite, Sulfur

performance of the final product and

Flake

80 – 200

Mica, Metallic Pigments, Graphite

performance. Aspect ratio reflects the

Fiber

20 – 200+

Sepiolite, Glass Fiber, Talc, Attapulgite, Wollastonite

divided by its thickness. Higher aspect

Shape

is traditionally finer in particle size compared to its primary counterpart. Mineral morphology impacts the “aspect ratio” is used to predict the ratio of the diameter of the pigment ratios indicate more “platiness.” Kaolin clays are platy (lamellar), provid-

Crude kaolin clay can be found in

ing the following benefits:

two types of deposits. Primary kaolin

— impart barrier properties (tires,

deposits are mined where they originally formed, while sedimentary deposits are formed when primary deposits are weathered and transported to another location. As a result,

Kaolinite – commonly known as kaolin clay and China clay – is a naturally occurring mineral with the chemical make-up of:

Al2Si2O5 (OH)4

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rubber membranes, adhesives, coatings) — impart smooth extrusions (plastic, polyester, rubber, pultrusion) — impart good coating “hold-out”

Kaolin Beneficiation Wet Process Options Unlike air-floated kaolin production, wet process beneficiation used by KaMin LLC dramatically improves the purity, consistency and brightness of nature’s kaolin deposits.

Crude clay is “blunged” at the mine

Once at the plant, crude kaolin is

and this represents the first of

“centrifuged” to separate coarse and

numerous engineering steps in

fine particle fractions. This is often

developing custom grades of kaolin.

called “cutting” the product.

Crude kaolin is blunged with water, dispersants and pH-adjusting

A magnetic separation process

chemicals to make the product fluid.

(developed by us) is used to remove

Sand is removed using a dragbox or

iron-stained anatase titanium dioxide

degritting centrifuge and the kaolin is

and other impurities. This process is

ready for passage from the mine to

finely tuned to remove even slightly

the plant. The kaolin is moved to the

magnetic contaminants.

plant through a series of underground

The most efficient method of

pipes, the longest stretch being 26

increasing brightness of grey crudes is

miles. This is just the beginning of the

ozonation – a chemical oxidation of

water-wash process.

organic contaminants. In addition, chemical leaching reduces the iron contaminants to a soluble form. These unwanted oxides are then washed-out during the filtration step. Chemicals

Crude ore blending Crude ore dispersion

Degritting

are added to flocculate the particles for High shear High horsepower Dragbox Screens Centrifuge Cyclones

the kaolin and effectively increases solids. After filtration the product falls into a high speed mixing tank where

Crude slurry blending Crude clay brightening

efficient vacuum filtration. This washes

dispersants “fluidize” the slurry. This Differential flocculation

slurry can then be shipped for some customer applications, or undergo

Underflow

Centrifugal fractionation

further processing, including drying, milling, calcining or surface treatment.

Overflow To delaminated clay process

Brightening

Ozonation Magnetic separation Leaching

Slurry makedown

Filtration

Rotary vacuum filters

Shipping

Spray drying

Shipping

Pulverization

Shipping

Beneficiating crude kaolin clay is a complex, carefully controlled process to create dozens of finished

Calcination

products that add important functional properties Pulverization

Shipping

to manufactured goods and materials.

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Types of Kaolin Clay Finding the right kaolin clay supplier doesn’t have to be complicated. At KaMin LLC, our quality reserves and no-hassle business practices allow you to produce the highest-quality products for your customers.

Typical Physical Analysis Composition

Water-Washed

Calcined

Airfloat (hard)

Al2O3 %

39

45

38

SiO3 %

45

53

45

TiO3 %

0.5 – 2.5

0.5 – 1.5

0.5 – 2.5

Fe2O3 %

0.36

0.30

1.7

CaO %

0.05

Trace

0.02

K 2O %

0.02

Trace

0.27

13.59

0.0

13.80

%LOI @ 950ºC

Physical Characteristics Process Type

Water-washed

Calcined

Airfloat (hard)

Airfloat (soft)

2.60

2.63

2.60

2.60

0.01 – 0.03

0.01 – 0.02

0.10 – 0.40

0.30 – 0.75

1–3

0.5 – 1

1–3

1–3

6.0 – 8.0

5.0 – 6.0

4.5 – 5.5

4.0 – 4.5

%Brightness

81 – 92

90 – 94

71

72

Oil absorbtion g/100g

25 – 45

60 – 80

20 – 40

20 – 40

Surface area, m2/gm

11 – 24

7 – 17

22 – 26

12 – 15

Particle Size –2 Microns +5 Microns

80 – 100 0–6

60 – 70 5 – 15

92 – 97 0–3

60 – 70 12 – 20

Strokes equivalent particle diameter, m

0.2 – 4.0

0.6 – 2.0

0.3 – 0.5

0.9 – 1.3