Soft, earthy , usually white mineral (dioctahedral phyllosilicate - clay). Produced by the physical weathering of feldspar?.
Used in medicine, bricks and in ceramics. China clay (kaolin) comes from it. One of the most common minerals it is mined in France, Britain, Germany, and China.
The crystallography? of kaolinite played an role in [Linus Pauling]?'s work on the nature of the chemical bond.