Talc: A Mineral in Your Daily Life

Most people are familiar with the mineral talc. It can be crushed into a white powder that is
widely known as "talcum powder." This powder has the ability to absorb moisture, absorb oils,
absorb odor, serve as a lubricant, and produce an astringent effect with human skin. These
properties make talcum powder an important ingredient in many baby powders, foot powders,
first aid powders, and a variety of cosmetics.

A form of talc known as "soapstone" is also widely known. This soft rock is easily carved and
has been used to make ornamental and practical objects for thousands of years. It has been used
to make sculptures, bowls, countertops, sinks, hearths, pipe bowls, and many other objects.

Although talcum powder and soapstone are two of the more visible uses of talc, they account for
a very small fraction of talc consumption. Its hidden uses are far more common. Talc's unique
properties make it an important ingredient for making ceramics, paint, paper, roofing materials,
plastics, rubber, insecticides, and many other products.

What is Talc?
Talc is a hydrous magnesium silicate mineral with a chemical composition of Mg3Si4O10(OH)2.
Although the composition of talc usually stays close to this generalized formula, some
substitution occurs. Small amounts of Al or Ti can substitute for Si; small amounts of Fe, Mn,
and Al can substitute for Mg; and, very small amounts of Ca can substitute for Mg. When large
amounts of Fe substitute for Mg, the mineral is known as minnesotaite. When large amounts of
Al substitute for Mg, the mineral is known as pyrophyllite.

Talc is usually green, white, gray, brown, or colorless. It is a translucent mineral with a pearly
luster. It is the softest known mineral and is assigned a hardness of 1 on the Mohs Hardness
scale.

Talc is a monoclinic mineral with a sheet structure similar to the micas. Talc has perfect cleavage
that follows planes between the weakly bonded sheets. These sheets are held together only by
van der Waals bonds, which allows them to slip past one another easily. This characteristic is
responsible for talc's extreme softness, its greasy, soapy feel, and its value as a high-temperature
lubricant.

How Does Talc Form?

Talc is a mineral that is most often found in the metamorphic rocks of convergent plate
boundaries. It forms from at least two processes. Most large talc deposits in the United States
formed when heated waters carrying dissolved magnesium and silica reacted with dolomitic
marbles. A second process of talc formation occurred when heat and chemically active fluids
altered rocks such as dunite and serpentinite into talc.
Most of the talc deposits in the United States are in metamorphic rocks on the eastern side of the
Appalachian Mountains and in rocks metamorphosed in convergent terranes of Washington,
Idaho, Montana, California, Nevada, and New Mexico. Deposits of talc are also found in Texas.

Talc Mining and Processing

Most talc in the United States is produced from an open pit mine where the rock is drilled,
blasted, and partially crushed in the mining operation. The highest grade ores are produced by
selective mining and sorting operations.

Great care is taken during the mining process to avoid contaminating the talc with other rock
materials. These other materials can have an adverse effect on the color of the product.
Contamination can introduce hard particles that cause problems in applications where talc is
being used because of its softness or lubricating properties.

Partially crushed rock is taken from the mine to a mill, where it is further reduced in particle size.
Impurities are sometimes removed by froth flotation or mechanical processing. The mills
produce crushed or finely ground talc that meets customer requirements for particle size,
brightness, composition, and other properties.

Uses of Talc
Most people use products made from talc every day; however, they don't realize that talc is in the
product or the special role that it plays.

Talc in Plastics

In 2011, about 26% of the talc consumed in the United States was used in the manufacturing of
plastics. It is mainly used as a filler. The platy shape of talc particles can increase the stiffness of
products such as polypropylene, vinyl, polyethylene, nylon, and polyester. It can also increase
the heat resistance of these products and reduce shrinkage. Where the plastic is extruded in the
manufacturing process, talc's very low hardness produces less abrasion on equipment than harder
mineral fillers.

Talc in Ceramics

In the United States in 2011, about 17% of the talc consumed was used in the manufacturing of
ceramics products such as bathroom fixtures, ceramic tile, pottery, and dinnerware. When used
as a filler in ceramics, talc can improve the firing characteristics of the greenware and the
strength of the finished product.

Talc in Paint

Most paints are suspensions of mineral particles in a liquid. The liquid portion of the paint
facilitates application, but after the liquid evaporates, the mineral particles remain on the wall.
Talc is used as an extender and filler in paints. The platy shape of talc particles improves the
suspension of solids in the can and helps the liquid paint adhere to a wall without sagging.

Powdered talc is a very bright white color. This makes talc an excellent filler in paint because it
simultaneously serves to whiten and brighten the paint. Talc's low hardness is valued because it
causes less abrasion damage on spray nozzles and other equipment when paint is applied. In
2011, about 16% of the talc consumed in the United States was used to make paint.

Talc in Paper

Most papers are made from a pulp of organic fibers. This pulp is made from wood, rags, and
other organic materials. Finely ground mineral matter is added to the pulp to serve as a filler.
When the pulp is rolled into thin sheets, the mineral matter fills spaces between the pulp fibers,
resulting in a paper with a much smoother writing surface. Talc as a mineral filler can improve
the opacity, brightness, and whiteness of the paper. Talc also can also improve the paper's ability
to absorb ink. In 2011, the paper industry consumed about 16% of the talc used in the United
States.

Talc in Cosmetics and Antiperspirants

Finely ground talc is used as the powder base of many cosmetic products. The tiny platelets of a
talc powder readily adhere to the skin but can be washed off easily. Talc's softness allows it to be
applied and removed without causing skin abrasion.

Talc also has the ability to absorb oils and perspiration produced by human skin. The ability of
talc to absorb moisture, absorb odor, adhere to the skin, serve as a lubricant, and produce an
astringent effect in contact with human skin make it an important ingredient in many
antiperspirants. In 2011, about 7% of the talc consumed in the United States was used to make
cosmetics and antiperspirant.

Talc and asbestos occur naturally and may occur in close proximity in some metamorphic rocks.
Studies published in the 1960s and 1970s identified health concerns about the use of talc that
contains asbestos in some cosmetic products.

According to the FDA, "These studies have not conclusively demonstrated such a link, or if such
a link existed, what risk factors might be involved." To address these concerns, talc mining sites
are now carefully selected and ores are carefully processed to avoid the presence of asbestos in
talc destined for use in the cosmetics industry.

Talc in Roofing Materials

Talc is added to the asphaltic materials used to make roofing materials to improve their weather
resistance. It is also dusted onto the surface of roll roofing and shingles to prevent sticking. In
2011, about 6% of the talc consumed in the United States was used to manufacture roofing
materials.
Dimension Stone

A rock known as "soapstone" is a massive variety of talc with varying amounts of other minerals
such as micas, chlorite, amphiboles, and pyroxenes. It is a soft rock that is easy to work, and that
has caused it to be used in a wide variety of dimension stone and sculpture applications. It is
used for counter tops, electrical panels, hearthstones, figurines, statuary, and many other projects.

Other Uses of Talc

Ground talc is used as a lubricant in applications where high temperatures are involved. It is able
to survive at temperatures where oil-based lubricants would be destroyed.

Talc powder is used as a carrier for insecticides and fungicides. It can easily be blown through a
nozzle and readily sticks to the leaves and stems of plants. Its softness reduces wear on
application equipment.

Author: Hobart M. King, Ph.D.