CHARACTERISTICS OF THE KAOLIN CLAY IN THE PEGMATITES OF THE PARAIBA AND RIO GRANDE DO NORTE REGION, BRAZIL.
Tumkur Rajarao Gopinath1 and João Batista Monteiro de Souza2
1 Department of Mining and Geology, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil e-mail:tumkur@openline.com.br
2 Curso de Engenharia de Minas, Escola Técnica Federal, Natal, RN, Brazil
Key words: kaolin, feldspar, Brazil
Abstract
In the pegmatite province of the states of Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte in northeast Brazil there occurs primary kaolin deposits which are being explored at present. Size analysis of the clay and its yield in the whole rock were investigated. The clay and non-clay proportions tend to equal in the pegmatites. The clay particles are extremely fine in size with diameter falling below 2 microns. The clay size impurities found in the coarser clay fractions are sericite and minor proportions of quartz.