Kaolin suppliers

Apparently, none of WPC manufacturers adds calcium carbonate as a filler in then-products. LDl Composites, which use Biodac that consists of about 25% CaC03 and 25% of kaolin (clay), also did not use individual minerals as fillers. Nevertheless, there are many publications, mainly by suppliers of minerals and university researchers, describing benefits of calcium carbonate in WPCs. 

Major suppliers of kaolin with their corresponding capacities in million tons per armum (mtpa) are Imerys with >5.0 mtpa, Huber Engineered Materials (business sold in 2008 to IMin Partners, Fort Worth, TX) with 2.0 mtpa, Engelhard (business... 

Kaolin is readily available in Middle Georgia, the United States, where the major US suppliers mine, process and package, and export to Europe, Asia, and throughout the world. Other sources of kaolin are likewise mined and sold outside the United Stated. The cost of the mineral fluctuates, especially with energy prices having a direct impact on the production of calcined kaolin. In general, the 2004 tmckload price structure, FOB, was... 

Kaolin producers have been under pressure from over-capacity and have also faced intense competition from groimd calcimn carbonate in the very large paper market. Because of this, some suppliers have diversified. Kaolin accounts for 6% of all fillers used in plastics worldwide, mostly in PVC and polyamides. 

Kaolin deposits are cored and analyzed before mining to determine quality. Mined clays are then either wet or dry processed by air floatation or water fractionation. Surface-modified clays can be made by treating standard, delaminated, and calcinated grades with surface modifiers. The treatment can be performed by either the supplier or the end user. These surface modifiers include silane, titanate, polyester, and metal hydroxide. The objective of these surface treatments is to increase filler loadings and/or improve physical properties such as melt viscosity, thermal stability, and modulus without loss of physical characteristics. Electrical applications represent the largest use of surface-modified kaolin in plastics. 

Suppliers of sodium aluminum silicate include Degussa Corp. Ethyl Corp. J.M. Huber Corp. Thiele Kaolin Co. and Kaopolite Inc. 

Kaolin clay (Superex, J.M. Huber Co.) was treated in aqueous slurries with silanes and dried. All of the rubber clay compositions were prepared by mill-mixing the clays into the rubber before adding the remaining ingredients. Recipes shown in Table 3 were selected from data from suppliers to the rubber industry however, since a control was included with each rubber, the treated samples can best be evaluated in comparison with each other. 

Kaolin clay sells for relatively low prices compared to other rubber raw materials. Kaolinite is one of the most abundant minerals found in the earth s crust. There are many suppliers and potential suppliers of kaolin clay to meet the rubber industry s present and future needs, with these clay suppliers having only slim profit margins. Therefore, few, if any, supply shortages are forecast. 

Kaolins are used in PET and polyolefins to provide a balance of antiblocking effect and clarity. Imerys is the supplier of these kaolins. 

The United States is the leading supplier of kaolin cl, with about 40% of world production. Second largest is the United Kingdom with about 12%. US annual production capacity of 10 million metric tons is comprised of 40% water-washed, 15% airfloated, 13% calcined, and 10% delaminated clay. The major worldwide use for kaolin is in paper. In the US 40% of kaolin consumption is for coating and filling paper. Much lower but still substantial... 

Selected Commercial Kaolin Grades from Various Suppliers... 

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