CAS-Reg.- No. 00-1332-58-7

Characteristics:

Several alkali containing hydrous aluminosilicates are called mica. The most important ones are muscovite, sericite, phlogopite and biotite with different percentages of potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron and fluorine. They have in common the tendency to produce elastic, flexible flakes, as well as an easy cracking - ability parallel to each layer. The color is colorless, light green, red, brown or even black brown, depending on the percentage of iron.

Muscovite or white mica, known as Moscow Glas:

The formula: KAl₂ [(OH,F)2Si₃O₁₀], hardness, according to Mohs, 2- 2.5, specific gravity 2.8, mother- of- pearl- shine, siler gloss, transparent in small flakes, colorless, yellowish. Line: white, broken: leaf shaped, complete cracking ability, flexible, elastic, heat- and acid resistant, extremely weather resistant. Muscovite is very common in the shape of irregular looking discs. Crystals are rare.

Deposits: Austria, USA, Norway, Russia, India, China, Australia.

Mica qualities result of adulterations of scraps and of flotation concentrates of mineral mixtures (flakes), millings and air separation. The flake structure, however, must be maintained and may not be destroyed.

Application:

Mica is used for many purposes: nitro lacquer, leather finish, as pearl gloss pigments in lustre pigment pastes and plastics, motor car enamel, lipsticks, eye shadows, bath foams, in the plexiglas industry, as a matting agent, paper coating, wallpapers, textile coatings, silk-screen printing ink, gravure ink, baking enamels, hammes finish, rigid- PVC, flexible- PVC, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polyamide, high- and low pressure polyethylene, casein, methyl-acrylate injection molding, ceramics- and glass industry and as insulation in the electro- technology.

Application for paints and varnishes:

Mica is mainly used for anti-corrosive paint, because it is resistant against acids, alkalis and oxidizing media. Furthermore, it strengthens the effect of inhibiting pigments, since the flakes are in layers, parallel to the film level. Therefore, they create an underlay with a high tensile strength and a high elasticity, which also improves the adhesion of the substrate. Moreover, mica is very suitable to alterate aluminum paints and for coatings with a high heat and chemical resistance.

Application for plastics:

The above mentioned characteristics are also a base for the use of mica as a filling and reinforcement in PVC. The reinforcement is due to the relation between the diameter and the thickness of the flakes.

It gives thermoplastics a high stiffness, good electrical properties and a good dimensional stability in heat.

Summary of the most important characteristics:

• flake structure as the most important property,
• improvement of the adhesion,
• reinforcement of systems,
• UV- resistance (especially clear lacquers),
• chemical- and temperature resistant,
• weather resistant.

Advised application fields:

• aluminium-, anti corrosive-, traffic paint,
• coating materials, powder coating,
• industrial varnishes,
• anti rust paints,
• ground coats,
• marine paint,
• thick coat systems,
• joint filler,
• molding compound,
• adhesives,
• thermoplastics.

Bibliography:

• Römpps Chemie-Lexikon
• H. Kittel; Lehrbuch der Lacke und Beschichtungen
• Geächter/Müller: Kunststoffadditive/3. Ausgabe

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