What is Kaolinite?
{{Infobox mineral | name = Kaolinite | category = [[Phyllosilicates]] <br />Kaolinite-[[serpentine group]] | boxwidth = | image = Kaolinite from Twiggs County in Georgia in USA.jpg | caption = | formula = Al<sub>2</sub>Si<sub>2</sub>O<sub>5</sub>(OH)<sub>4</sub> | strunz = 09.ED.05 | symmetry = Triclinic pedial<br/>[[H-M symbol]]: (1)<br/>[[Space group]]: P1 | unit cell = a = 5.13 [[Ångstrom|Å]], b = 8.89 Å, c&nbsp;=&nbsp;7.25&nbsp;Å; α = 90°, β = 104.5°, γ = 89.8°; Z = 2 | color = White, sometimes red, blue or brown tints from impurities | habit = Rarely as crystals, thin plates or stacked, More commonly as microscopic pseudohexagonal plates and clusters of plates, aggregated into compact, claylike masses | system = [[Triclinic]] | twinning = | cleavage = Perfect on {001} | fracture = | tenacity = Flexible but inelastic | mohs = 2–2.5 | luster = Pearly to dull earthy | refractive = n<sub>α</sub> = 1.553–1.565, <br/>n<sub>β</sub> = 1.559–1.569,<br/> n<sub>γ</sub> = 1.569–1.570 | opticalprop = Biaxial (–) | pleochroism = | 2V = Measured: 24° to 50°, Calculated: 44° | streak = White | gravity = 2.16–2.68 | melt = | fusibility = | diagnostic = | solubility = | references = <ref name=Mindat>{{cite web|title = Kaolinite mineral information and data|publisher = MinDat.org|url = http://www.mindat.org/min-2156.html|accessdate = 2009-08-05}}</ref><ref name=Webmin>{{cite web|title = Kaolinite Mineral Data|publisher = WebMineral.com|url = http://www.webmineral.com/data/Kaolinite.shtml|accessdate = 2009-08-05}}</ref><ref name=Handbook>[http://rruff.geo.arizona.edu/doclib/hom/kaolinite.pdf Kaolinite in the Handbook of Mineralogy]</ref> }} '''Kaolinite''' or '''Kaolin''' is a [[clay]] [[mineral]]. It is in a group with the chemical composition [[Aluminium|Al]]<sub>2</sub>[[Silicon|Si]]<sub>2</sub>[[Oxygen|O]]<sub>5</sub>([[hydroxide|OH]])<sub>4</sub>.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.com/earth-and-environment/m