Typical applications

Paints

Mica is extensively used as a pigment extender in various paints, namely:

• aluminum paints,
• car varnishes,
• anti-corrosive paints,
• cement paint
• emulsion or synthetic water paints,
• fireproof paint
• exterior paints,
• marine paints,
• paint for road markings
• oil based metal primers etc.

Mica acts as a reinforcing pigment to reduce checking and cracking while at the same time controls chalking in outside latex, oleo resinous, alkyd, and alkyd-modified latex exterior paints.

Mechanically strengthens the paint layer and gives greater resistance to electricity, heat, light, moisture and chemicals. Overlapping layers of mica form a hard shield, which improves the overall durability of the paint.

Replacement of expensive colorants of ground mica affected not only to significantly reduce costs but also to improve the properties of the paint.

Plastics

Ground mica ground can be successfully mixed with various thermoplastic polymeric materials and thermosetting resins and most of them can be used in products that have a direct contact with food. Ground mica is often used in the production of plastic products such as:

• thermoplastic polymers (PP, PE, ABS, PS, HIPS, SAN, BDS, etc.)
• thermosetting resins (polyester, acrylic, polyurethane, etc.).

It is used in the form of powders of different grain size, which can be dispersed and distributed in a single or twin-screw extruders or added directly to the polymer mass by an additional dispenser located at the form.

Ground mica powders do not lose their properties even if the use of even the most aggressive production techniques.

Mica powder in the plastics can be used to strengthen, stiffening and reduce wrinkling of the materials; reducing the thermal expansion and conductivity, improving the insulating properties and vibration damping and to increase adhesion to the substrate.

Mica, due to its highly delaminated flake structure, is suitably used in large proportion as non-asbestos fillers that provide reinforcement and improve physical properties of the mica-plastic composites. Mica improves material properties of plastic composites significantly.

Addition of mica results in higher heat distortion temperature, increased flexural modulus, increased flexural strength, reduced shrinkage, better chemical resistance, reduced permeability, better dielectric properties and better surface properties to plastic composites. As a rigid flake, mica provides mechanical reinforcement along a plane rather than a single axis as in the case of a glass fiber.

It is particularly used in thermoplastic polymers, e.g. PP, PST, PET, HDPE, ABS and Nylon 6/6, thermosets and elastomers plastic compounds. It also provides a gloss of polymer masses.

Automotive plastics

Some of the latest research and testing have resulted in extensive use of mica in place of asbestos in acoustic compounds in automotive plastics that change vibrations and control noise. It is used in air condition fan blades, dashboard panels, head lamp assemblies, fan shrouds and floor flake to strengthen lightweight plastic seat backs, load floors, grill panels, ignition system parts, and air condition and heater valve housings.

Automakers throughout are now encouraged to apply increasing quantities of mica in acoustic compounds that changes vibrations and eliminate road and engine noise which are fine examples of mica filled polypropylene products found in automobiles.

Paper

Thanks to its unique properties, ground mica protects against moisture, heat, gas, water and other chemicals. Mica flakes reflect light, creating a unique glow effect.

Ground mica ground meets decorative features adding gloss in:

• wallpapers
• decorative paper
• decorative cardboard
• greeting cards, etc.

Welding electrodes

Ground mica is well recognized for use in mild steel rutile based welding electrodes. In the manufacture of welding electrodes a core of steel wire is coated uniformly with a 'flux' comprising mica as a lagging compound. Mica is added to the 'flux' with which welding electrodes are coated as binders, extrusion agents and pigments to aid slag formation, weldpool protection and arc stabilization. The mica coating provides two distinct types of protection to the welding rods:

• it serves in forming a fusible slag and a good seal at the fusion zone on the arc,
• it resists the action of heat, gaseous and other surrounding atmospheric oxidization.

In fact, no other material cannot replace mica in that application. The nature of mica coating that largely determines the quality of a welding electrodes.

Decorating plastic, glass and ceramics.

Mica flakes and mica powder are successfully used as replacements for glitter to decorate all materials and articles, especially when particles have to penetrate into the structure of the material (rather than being glued on the surface).

Mica is irreplaceable for decorating glass, ceramics, and plastic products. Whenever contact with a high temperature or food products is needed, is recommended to use mica flakes or grounded mica instead of polyester glitter.

Typical glitter is in the form of finely chopped pieces of polyester film with a thickness about 10 - 40 microns. Glitter particles have regular shapes (eg. hexagons, stars, diamonds) with a width of 0.1 - 1.0 mm. The advantage of glitter is possible to obtain virtually any color and certain forms particles of the film.

Unfortunately, the conventional glitter can not be used at high temperatures, which occur during the production of plastic, glass, porcelain and ceramic. In the process of molding plastic, glass and ceramics, plastic grains of classical glitter will be destroyed. "Cold" glitter gluing to plastic, glass and ceramics causes unstable decorating, which can not be used in contact with food (glitter particles can get into the food).

Permanent decorating plastic, glass and ceramics is provided only by merging shining, colored particles into the structure of plastic, glass or ceramics. In such situations, "mica glitter" is irreplaceable. Depending on the raw material used, particles of mica may be processed at a high temperature of 600  °C (muscovite) to over 1 100  °C (synthetic mica). The color palette of "mica glitter" is quite broad and includes color from white through pearl, green, red, blue and gold to brown and black in different shades (see. below).

The size of the flakes.

Depending on the effect you want to achieve, you can use the large and very large flakes for example 5-10 mm and as much as 7 - 15 mm. With such granulation you can see a clear pattern of flake. Especially often mica is used in various shades of gold (eg. gold royal) or silver. Successfully simulates eg. flakes of gold / silver embedded in the structure of the material (eg. in the black lacquer).

Most often, in order to achieve the "glitter" effect, small mica flakes of 0.2 - 0.5 mm or 0.5 - 1.0 mm are used. This granularity allows you to get shiny plane without emphasizing the structure of the mica's flakes.

If you want to see individual particles (flakes) of mica, it can be used the average flakes granulation (1.0 - 3.0 mm). It is especially popular for synthetic mica, allowing for the use of a temperature of 1 100 °C.