A long story of mica What is mica? Where does it come from and what is it used for?

As a mineral essentially made of aluminosilicate and potassium, natural mica is extracted in India, China, Brazil and Madagascar among others.

 

Thanks to its electrical insulation properties, strong thermal resistance, non-toxicity and low footprint on the environment, mica is to be found in many applications such as specific cables, high voltage engines, the automotive and space industry, iron and steel-mills or even cosmetics (shiny effect on lipsticks for instance) and decoration(paint), and so on.

 

ISO-tech Belgium closely collaborates with the iron and steel-mills, particularly the foundries that melt using induction furnaces in which mica is practically vital for the electrical insulation.

 

Muscovite and phlogopite are the two grades of mica that we offer. Muscovite mica is stiffer and stronger but can resist lower temperatures (750°C maximum). Phlogopite mica is more malleable and fragile though it can withstand higher temperatures (1000°C maximum). Muscovite mica is of more general use such as in a wide range of household electrical devices (toasters, hair-dryers, microwave ovens, and so on) and is cheaper while phlogopite mica is harder to find and consequently more expensive. Typical applications of phlogopite mica are fire-resistant specific cables and induction furnace coil insulation.

 

Feel free to contact us for additional information.