Characteristics of Mica Chips

Take pearlescent pigments as an example, pearlescent pigments are a class of pigments with pearl luster, which are deposited on the substrate (generally natural mica, synthetic mica, glass sheet and other sheet-like materials) above a layer or alternately deposited multiple layers of metal oxides or non-metallic oxides and formed a flat sandwich body with a structure similar to sandwich. Due to the difference in refractive index between the substrate and the oxide deposited on its surface and each oxide, when the light shines on the surface of the pearlescent pigment, the incident light will be refracted and reflected at the interface of each layer of the pearlescent pigment, and the color of the pearlescent pigment that people see is the result of the superposition of light after multiple refractions and reflections of the light, that is, the interference phenomenon of light.

Later, with the development of science and technology, people gradually realized that mica minerals have high insulation, high temperature resistance, strong acid and alkali resistance, and mica also began to enter building materials, fire, plastics, paper, rubber, pearlite pigments and other industries. These are mainly Muscovite and phlogopite.

Phlogopite is known as the brown mica and is less abundant compared to muscovite and biotite. It is typically found in metamorphic rocks and is characterized by its yellowish-brown color. Phlogopite’s thermal stability surpasses that of muscovite and biotite, making it suitable for high-temperature applications, such as in the production of insulated cables and electrical components. In addition to its industrial uses, phlogopite can be found in cosmetics as a colorant due to its unique hues.