Kaolin is an important industrial mineral, widely used in papermaking, ceramics, rubber, plastics and other fields. In order to meet different industrial needs, the processing technology of kaolin is very important.

  1. Kaolin mining and preliminary processing

  The processing of kaolin starts with the mining of ore. Usually, kaolin ore is obtained by open-pit mining or underground mining. The mined ore needs to be processed initially to remove impurities and unwanted mineral components. The initial processing includes steps such as crushing, screening and washing.

  2. Fine grinding and classification of kaolin

  After preliminary treatment, kaolin ore needs to be further finely ground and classified to achieve the required particle size and purity. Fine grinding is to further grind the ore particles into finer powders, usually using a ball mill or Raymond mill. The finely ground kaolin powder needs to be classified to ensure uniform particle size. Classification usually uses a hydrocyclone or a centrifugal classifier to separate kaolin powders of different particle sizes through centrifugal force. The classified kaolin powder can be further processed according to different industrial needs.

  3. Bleaching and dehydration of kaolin

  In order to improve the whiteness and purity of kaolin, bleaching is an important step. Bleaching usually uses chemical agents, such as chlorine or hydrogen peroxide, to oxidize the colored impurities in kaolin. The bleached kaolin needs to be dehydrated to remove excess water.

  Dehydration usually uses filtering and drying methods. Filtration is to filter out the water in the kaolin slurry through a filter cloth or filter screen to obtain a relatively dry kaolin mud cake. Drying is to evaporate the residual water in the kaolin mud cake through a kaolin dryer to obtain dry kaolin powder.

  4. Surface modification and packaging of kaolin

  In order to improve the application performance of kaolin, surface modification is an important step. Surface modification usually uses chemical agents, such as silane coupling agents or titanates, to modify the surface of kaolin powder. The modified kaolin powder has better dispersibility and stability and is suitable for different industrial applications. Finally, kaolin powder needs to be packaged for easy storage and transportation.

  Every step of kaolin processing is crucial and directly affects the quality and performance of the final product. Through scientific and reasonable process flow, kaolin ore can be transformed into high-quality industrial products, which are widely used in various fields.