Talc
- Benchmark: Benchmark 1
- Assessed: 2014-10-01
Used primarily in Cosmetics & Personal Care, Food Contact & Additives, Industrial / Manufacturing, Pesticides & Biocides, and Pharmaceuticals applications, Talc is specifically used in abrasive, absorbent, agrochemical carrier, anti-caking agent, bulking, colorant, cosmetics, filler, food industry, food packaging, lubricant, medical applications, opacifying, personal care products, pharmaceutical, and sclerosing agent.
In cosmetics, talc has the following functions: abrasive, absorbent, anticaking, bulking, opacifying, skin protection, and slip modification. It has been used widely at concentrations up to 100% in cosmetics, even as baby powder. Medically, talc is used as a sclerosing agent, being administered intrapleurally via chest-tube to
decrease the recurrence of malignant pleural effusions in symptomatic patients. Talc is also used as a color additive in drugs. In food, talc is granted the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status migrating from cotton and cotton fabrics used in dry food packaging and from paper and paperboard products. Talc is used as a dusting powder for medicinal and toilet preparations. Additionally, it functions as a pigment in paints, varnishes, and rubber, a filler for paper, rubber and soap, a lubricant for molds and machinery, and a carrier for insecticides and herbicides (CIR 2013, ChemIDplus 2014).
Chemical Synonyms Cosmetic talc; Agalite; Talc (MG3H2(SiO3)4); Talc (powder), containing no asbestos fibers; Silicates (
Key Functions: Cosmetics & Personal Care, Food Contact & Additives, Industrial / Manufacturing, Pesticides & Biocides, Pharmaceuticals