Belonging to the group of industrial minerals, Kaolinite is a layered silicate mineral, usually white in color. It can sometimes be red in color due to the presence of iron oxide, and also have blue or brown tints from impurities. Rocks that are rich in kaolinite are known as kaolin or china clay.
Soft and earthy, kaolinite is formed by the chemical weathering of aluminium silicate minerals like feldspar.
One of the most common minerals; kaolinite has a number of uses. It is used in ceramics, medicine, toothpaste, coated paper, as a light diffusing material in white incandescent light bulbs, organic farming and in cosmetics.
The World Map of Kaolinite Producing Countries shows a list of the major countries where the maximum quantity of kaolinite is mined. As the data in the map shows, United States is the largest producer of kaolinite in the world; in 2010, it produced an estimated 5.7 million metric tonnes of kaolinite. Fibreglass manufacturing in Taiwan is a very important consumer of imported kaolin.
Fujian Jizhou Longyan Kaolin Co Longyan, Fujian and Guangdong Chaozhou Feitianyan China Clay Mine Chaozhou, Guangdong are the major mines producing large quantities of kaolinite.
The second-largest kaolinite producer is Uzbekistan followed by Germany, Czech Republic, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Italy, Turkey, Spain, and Mexico. Nepal also uses significant amount of kaolinite; the most extensive use in the country is its use as paint or white wash in traditional stone masonry homes.
Major Producers of Kaolin in world-2010
| Country | Production in Thousand Metric Tonnes |
| United States | 5,700 |
| Uzbekistan | 5,550 |
| Germany | 3,250 |
| Czech Republic | 2,950 |
| Brazil | 2750 |
| United Kingdom | 1,850 |
| Ukraine | 1,150 |
| Italy | 1,000 |
| Turkey | 850 |
| Spain | 470 |
| Mexico | 80 |
| Other Countries | 8,400 |
