Industrial Minerals
What it is
Mica powder is ground muscovite, a potassium aluminium silicate that cleaves into thin, flexible, chemically inert flakes. In a coating or a plastic those flakes overlap like roof tiles, which is why mica resists cracking and slows moisture through a film better than a blocky filler can.
Why buyers specify it
- High aspect ratio gives barrier properties and crack resistance no spherical filler matches.
- Wet-ground grades keep the flake intact and deliver a visible sheen; dry-ground is the economic choice.
- Thermally and electrically insulating, stable past 600 °C.
- Reduces shrinkage and warp in moulded thermoplastics.
Grades we supply
Grade names are ours; the fineness and the duty are what you match against your current material.
| Grade | Process | Fineness | Usually bought for |
|---|---|---|---|
| XM-W325 | Wet ground | 325 mesh | Pearlescent and high-sheen coatings |
| XM-D200 | Dry ground | 200 mesh | Texture paint, joint compound |
| XM-D325 | Dry ground | 325 mesh | Primers, undercoats, plastics |
| XM-D600 | Dry ground | 600 mesh | Thin films, cosmetics-adjacent industrial use |
Other finenesses and surface treatments are available against a firm enquiry. If you are switching from another supplier, send their data sheet and we will match the curve rather than the mesh number.
Typical analysis
Chemistry
| Component | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 44 – 49 % | — |
| Al2O3 | 30 – 36 % | — |
| K2O | 8 – 11 % | Defines muscovite |
| Fe2O3 | 1 – 4 % | Affects colour |
| Loss on ignition | 3 – 6 % | — |
Physical properties
| Property | Typical range | Method basis |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect ratio | 20:1 – 60:1 | Wet-ground at the top of the range |
| Specific gravity | 2.75 – 2.95 | — |
| Oil absorption | 35 – 65 g/100 g | Rises with fineness |
| pH (10 % slurry) | 7.0 – 9.0 | — |
| Moisture as packed | ≤ 0.5 % | — |
These are typical ranges for mica powder, not a specification. The values that govern your order are the ones measured on your lot and printed on its mill test certificate. Ask for a sample and the certificate that goes with it before you commit a production trial.
Where it is used
Mica Powder is not one product sold 4 ways — it is 4 different conversations about the same mineral. We supply it into paint & coatings, plastics & masterbatch, oil & gas drilling and rubber, and in each of those the grade that works is chosen for a different reason: fineness in one, brightness in another, oil absorption or purity in the next.
Each industry below has its own page on this site, written for the people who formulate in it rather than for a general reader. If you work in one of them, start there — it will tell you which mica powder grade we would quote for your application and what we need to know before quoting it.
- Paint & Coatings — Crack bridging, barrier, flatting and sheen control.
- Plastics & Masterbatch — Stiffness, reduced warp and improved dimensional stability.
- Oil & Gas Drilling — Fine lost-circulation material in seepage zones.
- Rubber — Dusting and barrier filler.
Packing
| Pack | Detail | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg paper or PP bag | Palletised 40 bags per pallet, stretch-wrapped | Powders |
| 50 lb bag | US-standard weight where the plant prefers it | Powders |
| 1,000 kg / 1 MT jumbo bag | Four-loop FIBC with discharge spout | Powders, sand, granules |
| Bulk | Pneumatic tanker or loose in container, where volume justifies it | Sand, granules, lump |
Private-label bags with your own artwork are available from one container. How private label works.
Documents with every shipment
- Mill test certificate for the lot, with the measured values, not the range
- Certificate of analysis signed by the processing plant
- Safety data sheet in the US 16-section GHS format
- Certificate of origin and the commercial invoice and packing list
- Asbestos test report where the mineral and the application call for one
Related minerals
Need a price on mica powder?
Send the grade, the tonnage and the delivery ZIP code. Quote and free sample back within one business day.