DESCRIPTION

Talc occurs as a white to gray-white, unctuous powder. It is a naturally occurring form of hydrous magnesium silicate containing varying proportions of such associated minerals as alpha-quartz, calcite, chlorite, dolomite, kaolin, magnesite, and phlogopite. Talc derived from deposits that are known to contain associated asbestos is not food grade. It is insoluble in water and in solutions of alkali hydroxides, but is slightly soluble in dilute mineral acids.