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CJW-YALK t1_jb32dyc wrote

Reply to comment by Indemnity4 in Why does sand keep clay from shrinking as it dries? by UnderBridg

Unrelated: but on the subject of micro-scale clay particles…kaolin is a iron deficient white clay, relatively high in alumina…it’s used for all kinds of products. One use is paper, those same “hands” over lap each other and provide a smooth surface….if you’ve ever thought “man this paper is nice to write on” vs something like a napkin, your writing on the over lapped kaolin particles….(napkins, toilet paper etc are mostly tree fiber and absorb) …..heavy heavy application of kaolin can provide the slick feel of magizine at the extreme end, though many of them have moved to polymers

So next time your writing a note on nice smooth paper, remember your actually writing on dirt

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Jmazoso t1_jb342q9 wrote

Also, the anti diarrheal kaopectate got its name from one of its original ingredients —- kaolinite.

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CJW-YALK t1_jb3e24f wrote

Yep, but kaolinite was a filler mineral, it’s completely inert…nevertheless you’ll see people picking it up off the side of the road to eat raw from where it’s fallen off haul trucks

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Jmazoso t1_jb3wequ wrote

Not completely inert. It likes water, it bonds with water chemically due to its physical/chemical charge. It does swell somewhat when it does this, not to the extent that illite and montmorillionite do, but some. So it will make “stuff” less fluid.

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gristc t1_jb40z1s wrote

Don't leave us in suspense, what does it taste like?

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CJW-YALK t1_jb4wmbr wrote

Well….I routinely tasted it to determine its grit (sand) content in the field (I’m a geologist) …..it tastes like nothing, texture wise it’s like chalk until wet then it’s creamy…I was always tasting such a small amount and always focused on the sand part (rubbing on teeth) …..everything but the most pure stuff will have a sand content so eating raw kaolin will be unpleasant honestly

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