Patent ID: 7279037

Claim:
A method of processing Chinese kaolin, comprising providing Chinese kaolin wherein at least about 90% by weight of the Chinese kaolin has an equivalent spherical diameter of about 75 microns or less and from about 0.01% to about 90% by weight of the Chinese kaolin has an equivalent spherical diameter of about 2 microns or less, the Chinese kaolin having a higher carbon content, a lower iron oxide content, and a higher propensity to release alumina upon heating compared to Middle Georgia (U.S.A.) kaolin; delaminating the Chinese kaolin to provide at least about 60% by weight of Chinese kaolin having an average particle diameter of about 2 microns or less; exposing the carbon on a surface of the delaminated Chinese kaolin by pulverizing the delaminated Chinese kaolin at least two times before heating at a temperature from about 450 to about 1200° C.; and consuming the carbon on the surface of the at least twice pulverized Chinese kaolin by heating the at least twice pulverized Chinese kaolin at a temperature from about 450 to about 1200° C. for a time from about 1 minute to about 10 hours.