Resumen de Chemical Composition and Particle Size Analysis of Kaolin

Shehu Yahaya, Suzi Salwah Jikan, Nur Azam Badarulzaman, Ajiya Dahiru Adamu

• The mineral and elemental composition, crystal structure and particle size distribution of kaolin clays have been determined to ascertain its industrial significance. The mineral composition is evaluated by X- Ray Fluorescence (XRF), crystalline structure by X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and particle size distribution using low angle laser light scattering (LALLS) technique. The results shows the presence of eight elements expressed in percentages in form of their oxides as: SiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, CaO, K2O, TiO2 and P2O5. Five crystalline structures are revealed by XRD result. The particle size distribution shows that kaolin particles are mainly in the range of 25–35 µm, while few particles have size distribution varied between 0.4–0.75 μm. The report is found to be in agreement with other researchers.