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Kaolin: a servant of humanity
Author(s) -
KELLER W.D.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
geology today
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.188
H-Index - 17
eISSN - 1365-2451
pISSN - 0266-6979
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2451.1985.tb00303.x
Subject(s) - humanity , kaolinite , servant , geology , igneous rock , public servant , mineralogy , geochemistry , law , engineering , political science , software engineering
Kaolinite, an aristocrat of minerals, serves as the medium on which is printed the records of scholarly human culture from the oldest known to the present. It also serves as a refractory to confine ultra–high temperatures and protect furnaces used in modern industry and technology. Produced by reaction between rigid igneous silicates and physically yielding but chemically potent water, kaolin crystals reveal a graphic story, shown in scanning electron micrographs, of most diverse properties, geneses and potential applications.