1. Introduction. Talc, a layered magnesium silicate mineral with the ideal formula Mg 3 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2, is commonly used as a filler in composite materials to reduce their production costs, improve their physical and chemical properties, and provide new functionalities.It is used in numerous industrial applications (papers, paints, ceramics, cosmetics, and polymers; (Ferrage et al., 2002 ...