Kaolinite

Kaolinite is a mineral with the chemical composition Al₂Si₂O₅(OH)₄. It is also known as china[?] clay and kaolin (高嶺土 in pinyin: gao1 ling3 tu3), named after Gaoling ("High Hill"), Jingde Town, Jiangxi, China.

Soft, earthy, usually white mineral (dioctahedral phyllosilicate - clay). Produced by the chemical weathering of feldspar.

Used in medicine, bricks, paper and in ceramics and one of the most common minerals, it is mined in France, Britain, Germany, Japan (Amakusa) and China.

The crystallography of kaolinite played an role in Linus Pauling's work on the nature of the chemical bond.

See also: List of minerals