Kaolin, or kaolinite, has been studied in Saskatchewan for the last 40 years. The clay has been used by blending with plastic clays to increase refractoriness and reduce drying shrinkage in brick production. Studies have been directed at resource definition, mineralogical characterization, sand-clay separation, technology, stratigraphy, alumina content for potential aluminum production, refractory materials, and kaolin filler. Tests in the 1960's were conducted to improve the color of the clay, attempting to provide a whiter product. In 1984, Ekaton Industries Inc. had conducted exploration and evaluation of kaolin resources in the Eastend and Wood Mountain areas, and proposed to develop a Wood Mountain deposit. The company excavated several thousand tonnes of kaolinized sand for processing at a pilot plant near Regina. Success was reported in upgrading the kaolin to paper filler standards. In 1992, Kaolin Industries Ltd. of Saskatoon acquired the Ekaton equipment after the latter company went into receivership a few years earlier. Kaolin Industries Ltd. conducted testing of new patented technology relating to silica removal, brightening, calcining, and kaolin delamination. The company has achieved a kaolin quality suitable for some applications in the paper industry. Description of Mineral Kaolin is a clay mineral more correctly known as kaolinite. It is also called china clay. Kaolin is made up of individual crystals that form units termed booklets of stacked sheets. Kaolin is a soft mineral and white in colour when it is fairly pure. Location Major Saskatchewan deposits of kaolin occur in the Whitemud Formation located in the areas of Wood Mountain, Flintoft, Willows, Readlyn and Eastend. The beds of kaolin bearing Whitemud Formation can be seen as white outcrops in many places around Wood Mountain, Eastend and south of Shaunavon. The best kaolin beds are composed of up to 40 to 60 per cent kaolin mixed with fine quartz sand, minor amounts of other clays, and various other minerals. Mining Raw ore or kaolinized sand in Saskatchewan must be crushed. The sand is them removed or separated from the kaolin. Next, various substances are added to allow other types of clays to be removed from the kaolin. The resulting kaolin slurry must then be subjected to a high-intensity, wet, magnetic separation process which extracts iron-bearing minerals. The resulting product, with a reflectance value (a measure of the percentage of the incident light reflected by the sample) of 80 per cent or more, is then passed through classifiers which separate various size ranges for different uses. Some of the final product may be calcined for special applications. The coarser material may be put through a delamination process which breaks down the kaolin booklets and results in a product of high internal surface area and improved whiteness. Producers of Kaolin At present, there is no kaolin production in the province. Pilot scale calcining and delamination tests on Saskatchewan kaolin for paper application have been successfully conducted at a Regina pilot plant. The pilot plant operated in Regina from 1992 to 1993 and conducted processing evaluation on ore from the Wood Mountain and Willows areas. The tests achieved a quality of kaolin suitable for several products in the paper industry. With successful research on the characterization of Saskatchewan kaolin and development of larger-scale processing technology, Saskatchewan could become a major source of kaolin in the future. Uses for Kaolin Kaolin's whiteness, opaqueness, large internal surface area and non-abrasiveness make it an ideal filler material for paper production. As a coating agent in paper, kaolin provides a smooth, opaque surface with good printability and ink retention. Although about 80 per cent of all kaolin production is used in paper, other uses include fillers for rubber, plastic, paint and adhesives, as well as in ceramics such as porcelain and refractory products. Economic Impact for Saskatchewan With successful research on the characterization of Saskatchewan kaolin and development of large-scale processing technology, Saskatchewan could become a major source of kaolin in the future. Canada imports 97 per cent of the kaolin used nationally from the U.S. and the remainder from England. Georgia and South Carolina are the main sources of kaolin in North America. The major markets for kaolin are expected to be the paper industry in Western Canada, northwestern U.S. and western Ontario. Saskatchewan deposits have a competitive advantage over producers in Georgia and South Carolina due to shorter transportation to western markets. The outlook is good for continued growth in world kaolin demand. High grade kaolin could find a market in the bone china and porcelain industries and possibly in synthetic zeolites (molecular sieves for water purification). Kaolin is also a potential source of aluminum. The Future: How Much is Left? Saskatchewan's estimated kaolin resources are several hundred million tonnes.