Influence of iron on kaolin whiteness: An electron paramagnetic resonance study

Well characterized kaolin samples from different deposits of Brazil were studied by electron paramagnetic resonance. Three paramagnetic species attributed to iron in different chemical environments were identified in raw samples. A very intense and broad line with 0.2 mT linewidth was typical of large particles of iron oxides/hydroxides. A species at g = 2.0 with 0.04 mT line width was associated with superparamagnetic particles adsorbed to kaolinite surfaces or trapped between its lamellae. An isotropic and/or orthorhombic species in the g = 4.2 region belongs to structural Fe3+ replacing Al3+ in sites with different crystal-field symmetries. It was verified that large iron oxide particles were responsible for keeping the kaolin whiteness at levels below 50%. Superparamagnetic iron particles mainly affect whiteness in the range of 50%< whiteness < 86%. They may be totally removed by magnetic separation followed by chemical treatment using sodium dithionite. The kaolin high whiteness levels (whiteness > 86%) were determined by Fe3+ iron content in the kaolinite structure. However, only a small part of this species can be removed from the kaolinite structure by traditional industrial processing techniques. These results showed that EPR is a powerful technique to assist in controlling kaolin quality in industrial processes.