User talk:96.231.49.90

I would like to draw attention to the statement indicating talc for use in baby powder undergoes some degree of "significant refinement". This is simply untrue based on information that is publicly available.

The mining of talc is described as "selective" (see "Definition Section" in Talc USP monograph https://www.usp.org/sites/default/files/usp/document/harmonization/excipients/m80360talc.pdf ) which means that after blasting of the rock, talc lumps are separated from chunks of other minerals in the rock, involving in the crudest sense hand sorting. Any purification involves sifting and screening of talc to remove other minerals using gentle force, afforded by talc being the softest mineral on earth. However, invariably talc ores which are subsequently milled to manufacture talc used to manufacture "talcum powder" do contain other minerals, notably minerals such as chlorite and carbonates of magnesium and calcium (see Definition of Talc in Talc USP monograph). Importantly, the production of talc powders for food, drug, cosmetic or industrial uses, the latter representing the vast majority of all talc production by mining companies, involves the same technology. The same limitations exist with regard to purification or refinement of the talc ores and all commercially available talc powders derived from such ores. 96.231.49.90 (talk) 16:12, 5 July 2020 (UTC) Steven Wolfgang