M512 - Talc Specimen, Montana

Basic magnesium silicate.  

Talc is a metamorphic mineral resulting from the metamorphism of manganesian minerals such as serpentine, pyroxene, amphibole, olivine, in the presence of carbon dioxide and water.

Talc is used in many industries such as paper making, plastic, paint and coatings, rubber, food, electric cable, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, ceramics, etc. A coarse grayish-green high-talc rock is soapstone or steatite and has been used for stoves, sinks, electrical switchboards, crayons, soap, etc. It is often used for surfaces of lab counter tops and electrical switchboards because of its resistance to heat, electricity and acids. Talc finds use as a cosmetic (talcum powder), as a lubricant, and as a filler in paper manufacture. Talc is used in baby powder, an astringent powder used for preventing rashes on the area covered by a diaper.

It is also often used in basketball to keep a player's hands dry. Most tailor's chalk is talc, as is the chalk often used for welding or metalworking. Talk is also used as a food additive or in pharmaceutical products as glidant. It is also used in the ceramics industry in both bodies and glazes.