Talc

Talc, hydrated magnesium silicate, is typically a white or grey powder. It has a formula of H₂Mg₃(SiO₃)₄ or Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂. Talc’s particular qualities such as its ability to absorb oils, odors (some of which are in fact oils), and moisture, as well as its softness and general chemical inertness, make talc a popular mineral in many manufacturing industries including: rubber, plastic, ceramics, coatings, and personal care. *Some talc powders are very fine easily become air-borne; caution should be used when handling them so as to avoid the inhalation of the material.

Plastic & Rubber
Depending on the components of the master-batch, talc can provide plastics and rubber materials with additional desirable properties, and in some cases, such as certain plastics, color as well.

Personal Care
Although talc is most well-known for its usage in baby powder, it can also be found in many other personal care and cosmetic products. Most notably, sunscreen, skin foundation & powders, and lipstick.

Additional Notes:
* Some reservoirs of talc may have slightly different mineral compositions where one or several minerals are substituted by another. Below is a quick run-down of common substitution that may occur:
– Al/Ti > Si
– Al/Fe/Mn > Mg
– Small amounts of Ca > Mg
* Different impurities in talc create different colored talcs. Colors include various shades of green, pink, and yellow.
* Soapstone, is a soft rock mainly consisting of talc. Human utilization of soapstone goes far back in time. Modern day users recognize 2 main types of soapstone: artist soapstone and architectural soapstone. Artistic soapstone is very soft and can be easily manipulated using very simple tools. Architectural soapstone contains less talc and is typically rather hard; it is used to create counter tops, fire places surroundings, sinks, tiles, and many other house objects while maintaining and utilizing talc’s natural chemical inertness, non-porous, non-hazardous properties.