Kaolinite

The main use of the mineral kaolinite (about 50% of the time) is the production of paper; its use ensures the gloss on some grades of coated paper. Kaolin is also known for its capabilities to induce and accelerate blood clotting. In April 2008 the US Naval Medical Research Institute announced the successful use of a kaolinite-derived aluminosilicate infusion in traditional gauze, known commercially as QuikClot Combat Gauze, which is still the hemostat of choice for all branches of the US military. Kaolin is used (or was used in the past): in ceramics (it is the main component of porcelain) in toothpaste as a light-diffusing material in white incandescent light bulbs in cosmetics in industrial insulation material called Kaowool (a form of mineral wool) in 'pre-work' skin protection and barrier creams in paint to extend the titanium dioxide (TiO2) white pigment and modify gloss levels for modifying the properties of rubber upon vulcanization in adhesives to modify rheology in organic farming as a spray applied to crops to deter insect damage, and in the case of apples, to prevent sun scald as whitewash in traditional stone masonry homes in Nepal (the most common method is to paint the upper part with white kaolin clay and the middle with red clay; the red clay may extend to the bottom, or the bottom may be painted black) as a filler in Edison Diamond Discs as a filler to give bulk, or a coating to improve the surface in papermaking as an indicator in radiological dating since kaolinite can contain very small traces of uranium and thorium to soothe an upset stomach, similar to the way parrots (and later, humans) in South America originally used it (more recently, industrially-produced kaolinite preparations were common for treatment of diarrhea; the most common of these was Kaopectate, which abandoned the use of kaolin in favor of attapulgite and then (in the United States) bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol)) for facial masks or soap (known as "White Clay") as adsorbents in water and wastewater treatment to induce blood clotting in diagnostic procedures, e.g. Kaolin clotting time in its altered metakaolin form, as a pozzolan; when added to a concrete mix, metakaolin accelerates the hydration of Portland cement and takes part in the pozzolanic reaction with the portlandite formed in the hydration of the main cement minerals (e.g. alite) in its altered metakaolin form, as a base component for geopolymer compounds