Analysis of the scale, output value, import and export, and beneficiation process of China's kaolin

1、 Overview of Imported Kaolin Industry

Kaolin, also known as porcelain clay or white clay, is named after its discovery in Gaoling Village, near the eastern suburbs of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi. It is one of the most widely used clay materials by humans. Kaolin is a combination of water bearing silicate and Aluminate formed by a variety of mineral deposits. The primary mineral component is Kaolinite, which can also contain impurities such as quartz, green earth, Illite and feldspar. Kaolin is widely used as a mineral filler, but due to the differences in the formation conditions and mining and processing methods of kaolin deposits, its surface properties vary greatly, making the scale of use of kaolin limited. The quality requirements vary depending on the field of use.

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

The main mineral component of kaolin is Kaolinite, which is formed by the long-term weathering process of aluminosilicate minerals such as feldspar and Augite in the natural world. Kaolin is mostly in dense or loose block shape, with a dull or waxy aggregate luster. It is generally white, and if it contains impurities, it will appear in other colors. It is a typical layered clay mineral deposit.

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

The naturally occurring kaolin ore can be divided into coal series kaolin, hard kaolin, soft kaolin and sandy kaolin, metakaolin, washed kaolin, and calcined kaolin based on its quality, plasticity, and sand content (quartz, feldspar, mica, and other mineral deposits with a particle size of 50 microns):

Classification of Kaolin

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

2、 Analysis of the Current Situation of Kaolin Occupational Market in China

Currently, the demand for kaolin in China is steadily increasing and its use is becoming more widespread. According to calculations, the scale of China's kaolin occupational market reached 4.006 billion yuan in 2018, an increase of 14.7% year-on-year.

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

The Proven reserves of kaolin in the world are about 32 billion tons, mainly distributed in the United States, Britain, China, Brazil and other places, among which the United States ranks first with 8.2 billion tons of reserves.

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

In recent years, the kaolin industry has developed rapidly, with market coverage ranging from a single ceramic papermaking profession to dozens or even hundreds of professions today. The use of kaolin is becoming increasingly widespread, and the demand is also increasing. According to calculations, the production value of kaolin in China reached 5.957 million tons in 2018, an increase of 6.3% year-on-year.

Material Origin: Revealing Materials and Cleaning Up

In terms of import and export, the high-quality kaolin processed products in the domestic market are far from satisfactory for market consumption demand. According to calculations, in 2019, the import volume of kaolin in China was 620800 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 3.4%, and the export volume was 921400 tons, a year-on-year decrease of 5.6%.

Source of materials: China Customs, Huajing Industrial Research Institute

In terms of import and export amount, according to calculations, the import value of kaolin in China in 2019 was 131 million US dollars, a year-on-year decrease of 5.8%, and the export value was 114 million US dollars, a year-on-year increase of 3.6%.