How Are Mica Sheets Formed?
October 1, 2021How Are Mica Sheets Formed?
If you are impressed by the amazing physical and chemical properties of mica and the applications of mica sheets in various industries, you may be curious about how mica sheets are formed. This post will take you through the process of mica sheet manufacturing, and some important information related to mica sheets and their types.
How Are Mica Sheets Formed?
The process of manufacturing mica sheets is a simple process but requires an extreme degree of precision and accuracy. If we look at the journey of manufacturing mica sheets from the beginning, mica is extracted from the indigenous rock formations using various extraction methods. Once mica is extracted from the earth’s crust, it is transported to the manufacturing facility for sorting, grading, and cutting, and that’s where the process of manufacturing mica sheets begins.
Before we dive further into the process, it is important to understand that mica has flat six-sided monoclinic crystals with remarkable cleavage in the direction of large surfaces, which permits them to be easily cleaved into optically flat films. That’s why you often find that mica is also called sheet mica, but it is different from mica sheets.
Mica sheets are formed by grounding the mica into fine particles using a hammer or micro pulverizing tool.
Once mica is finely ground into particles, water, and colloidal substance is added into it.
This mixture is then applied to a mesh mold where the viscosity of the solution allows it to form into even sheets.
A single sheet of uniform thickness is formed at one time by pouring the mixture into a mesh screen.
What Are the Different Types of Mica Sheets?
Mica sheets are primarily of two types: flexible and rigid. Each type is used in a wide range of applications in different industries.
Flexible Mica Sheets
As the name suggests, flexible mica sheets are flexible in nature and can be adapted to a wide range of applications. The thickness of flexible mica sheets varies from 0.10 to 2mm.
Rigid Mica Sheets
As the name suggests, rigid mica sheets are rigid in nature and used for the construction and insulation of high-temperature equipment. The thickness of rigid mica sheets varies from 0.10mm to 50mm making them extremely adaptable for many different applications and in various settings.
Some Important Information Related to Mica Sheets
Both rigid and flexible mica sheets are available in both muscovite and phlogopite mica grades.
Muscovite mica sheets are primarily used for electrical insulation applications while phlogopite mica sheets are generally used for thermal insulation applications.
Mica sheets can be manufactured into pure mica sheets or composite mica sheets.
Mica sheets in pure form are stable up to temperatures of 1000 °C whereas composite mica sheets can withstand temperatures up to 1600 °C.
Standard sizes of mica sheets available are 1000 mm widths, max. 2400 mm lengths. However, you can produce customized mica sheets according to your drawings and/or requirements by partnering with a mica manufacturer.
At Axim Mica, we manufacture high-quality mica sheets both standard and customized with fire resistance classification UL94 (94 V-0), BS 479 (class 1), NBN 21-203 (A1). Our mica sheets have good resistance to high temperatures & chemicals, low heat conductivity, high dielectric strength, good high-voltage proof performance and are an ideal alternative for asbestos insulation. Contact us to know more.