Talc, Chinese

The bronze age did not arrive in China until around 1500 bce, and iron appeared only about 500 bce, but by the beginning of their alchemical age, around 100 ce, the Chinese had knowledge of zinc and brass (a copper-zinc alloy), mercury, sulfur, and several of the common salts, such as niter. In the 400s bce an administrator made a list of known materials that included lead oxide, lead carbonate, sulfur, calcium carbonate, hydrated calcium sulfate, ferric oxide, niter, talc or soapstone, hydrated magnesium silicate, alum (the double sul-... 

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