EP Kaolin

Plastic White Firing Kaolin

Chemistry

CaO0.180
K2O0.330
MgO0.100
Na2O0.060
TiO20.370
Al2O337.360
P2O50.240
SiO245.730
Fe2O30.790

Volatiles

LOI13.200
H2O1.400
SO30.210

Mineralogy

Links to Other Materials

Hazards

Miscellaneous

Notes

A secondary water washed kaolin mined in Florida. It is fairly plastic and very white firing compared with most other American kaolins. It has excellent casting properties. It is not plastic enough for throwing bodies, thus it should be augmented by a more plastic kaolin or by a plasticizer like bentonite or hectorite.

EPK is considered by many to be the best North American kaolin for use in suspending glazes as it tends to produce a smooth thixotropic slurry. 15-20% will normally make the glaze gel slightly, thus when a piece is immersed in the slurry and removed it drips very little and the wet glaze layer stays in place for the time it takes to dewater. Since EPK is very close to theoretical kaolin chemistry, it will subsitute for any other kaolin that can make the same claim (e.g. Pioneer).

This material is mined and processed in Edgar Florida. It is extracted hydraulically (a high pressure stream of water is used to wash the clay/sand mix from the bank into a small lake). The slurry is pumped from the bottom and transported to vibrating screens that separate out the sand and grade it into sizes. The clay that passes the screens is pumped into a pond and settled with the aid of a flocculant. The slurry is then dried and the flocculant neutralized. The main product at this mine is high quality white sand, the clay is a byproduct. The company is confident that there are reserves for the next hundred years or more and the quality will be constant throughout the life cycle of the deposit.


Data

URLs

Suppliers

Authors

XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<material name="EP Kaolin" descrip="Plastic White Firing Kaolin" generic="0" rawmineral="0" searchkey="EPK, Edgar Plastic Kaolin, EPK Kaolin" loi="0.00">
<families>
<family name="Kaolin"/>
</families>
<regions>
<region name="North America" minedat="Edgar, FL"/>
</regions>
<oxides>
<oxide symbol="CaO" name="Calcium Oxide, Calcia" status="" percent="0.180" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="MgO" name="Magnesium Oxide, Magnesia" status="" percent="0.100" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="K2O" name="Potassium Oxide" status="" percent="0.330" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Na2O" name="Sodium Oxide, Soda" status="" percent="0.060" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="P2O5" name="Phosphorus Pentoxide" status="" percent="0.240" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="TiO2" name="Titanium Dioxide, Titania" status="" percent="0.370" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Al2O3" name="Aluminum Oxide, Alumina" status="" percent="37.360" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="SiO2" name="Silicon Dioxide, Silica" status="" percent="45.730" tolerance=""/>
<oxide symbol="Fe2O3" name="Iron Oxide, Ferric Oxide" status="" percent="0.790" tolerance=""/>
</oxides>
<volatiles>
<volatile symbol="" name="" percent="13.200" tolerance=""/>
<volatile symbol="" name="" percent="1.400" tolerance=""/>
<volatile symbol="" name="" percent="0.210" tolerance=""/>
</volatiles>
<references>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
<reference name="seealso" reason=""/>
</references>
<minerals>
<mineral name="Kaolinite" detail="97%"/>
</minerals>
<hazards>
<hazard name="Kaolin"/>
</hazards>
<suppliers>
<supplier name="Feldspar Corp." country="US" url="www.zemex.com/feldspar" label=""/>
</suppliers>
<notes>
<note>A secondary water washed kaolin mined in Florida. It is fairly plastic and very white firing compared with most other American kaolins. It has excellent casting properties. It is not plastic enough for throwing bodies, thus it should be augmented by a more plastic kaolin or by a plasticizer like bentonite or hectorite.

EPK is considered by many to be the best North American kaolin for use in suspending glazes as it tends to produce a smooth thixotropic slurry. 15-20% will normally make the glaze gel slightly, thus when a piece is immersed in the slurry and removed it drips very little and the wet glaze layer stays in place for the time it takes to dewater. Since EPK is very close to theoretical kaolin chemistry, it will subsitute for any other kaolin that can make the same claim (e.g. Pioneer).

This material is mined and processed in Edgar Florida. It is extracted hydraulically (a high pressure stream of water is used to wash the clay/sand mix from the bank into a small lake). The slurry is pumped from the bottom and transported to vibrating screens that separate out the sand and grade it into sizes. The clay that passes the screens is pumped into a pond and settled with the aid of a flocculant. The slurry is then dried and the flocculant neutralized. The main product at this mine is high quality white sand, the clay is a byproduct. The company is confident that there are reserves for the next hundred years or more and the quality will be constant throughout the life cycle of the deposit.</note>
</notes>
<testdata>
<testitem testname="3" value="1.35"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="32.4 loose, 46.2 tapped"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="5.8 at 10% solids"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="2.5"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="24.25"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="5.8%"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="6000 @ 35% solids (wt.)"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="26%"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="+60 mesh: 0%
+80: 0%
+100: 0.1%
+200: 0.8%
+325: 1.5%
"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="300 psi"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="Methylene Blue: Acid Treated-5.2 Meq/100 gm"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="40 microns: 100%
10: 90%
5: 78%
3: 68%
1: 49%
.5: 40%
.2: 20%
"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="Cone 11: 11.3%"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="Cone 11: 11.6%"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="5.8 Meq/100 gm"/>
<testitem testname="3" value="6.5 Meq/100 gm"/>
</testdata>
</material>



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