Muscovite Mica SX400 Boletín técnico

Muscovite Mica

Mica is a group of lamellar silicate minerals distinguished by their high aspect ratio and visual glimmer. Muscovite Mica, the most common type worldwide, is a hydrated silicate of potassium and aluminium, and is predominately white in colour.

LKAB Minerals exclusively source Muscovite Mica globally from high quality deposits and using extensive mineral processing knowledge produces a wide portfolio of grades to suit many applications.

Muscovite Mica product uses

The main markets for LKAB Minerals' Muscovite Mica are coatings, construction and polymers.

Industrial coatings benefit from the inert nature of Muscovite Mica and its ability to form a barrier to aggressive chemicals, improving service life and film integrity and reducing water vapour permeability.

Matt decorative wall coatings show improved sheen control, and significant mud cracking reduction in high PVC coatings for textured surfaces. Roof, wood and tile coatings gain improved crack resistance and UV stability during prolonged external exposure.

Cementitious fire resistant coatings used for the protection of structural steel and concrete in commercial construction gain from mica's high aspect ratio and thermal stability. This contributes to lower flammability, whilst reinforcing the char to prevent coating failure during a fire.

In foundry coatings, better surface finish, increased precision of the metal casting, and improved recyclability of the sand cores are key benefits.

Other applications include mould release coatings for production of rubber tyres, and heat resistant paints.

Muscovite Mica is used in the production of wall boards and cladding to improve dimensional stability and reduce shrinkage, lower weight, increase fire resistance and thermal insulation properties. Other building applications include joint compounds and plasters.

Muscovite Mica finds increasing use in thermoplastic compounds. The high aspect ratio platy particles provide an excellent balance of mechanical, thermal and dimensional properties when used as a functional filler in plastics providing increased stiffness, high temperature performance, improved scratch resistance, acoustic damping properties, lower CLTE and improved dimensional stability. Polymers benefitting include PP, PE, TPO, polyamide, and PBT. Duroplastic polymers like polyester, polyurethane, epoxy, and acrylic gain enhanced performance and durability.

Elastomeric systems show improved reinforcement and excellent mould release properties.

Muscovite Mica properties

The main physical properties ofMuscovite Mica include:

Plate-like particles with a high aspect ratio chemical inertness, hydrophilic nature, barrier-forming ability due to parallel particle alignment in matrices, high thermal stability, elastic but tough particles, excellent brightness, high dielectric strength and electrical insulation properties.