In 2022, Lingshou Huajing Mica Co., Ltd. launched cosmetic grade mica powder. The flake structure of mica powder can lock the water on the surface of the skin, forming a protective film to effectively prevent water loss. Its unique gloss and reflection effect add natural and charming luster to the skin, and mica powder also has a certain sunscreen effect. To a certain extent, it can reduce the damage of ultraviolet rays on the skin, protect the skin from the external environment, and prevent sunburn.

Natural mica powder and synthetic mica powder also have great differences in electrical insulation, mechanical properties, chemical stability, application range and cost. Natural mica powder has good electrical insulation, but the volume resistivity is lower than that of synthetic mica. Synthetic mica powder has better electrical insulation properties, high volume resistivity and stable dielectric constant, and is suitable for high performance electrical insulation materials. The hardness of natural mica powder is relatively low (2-3), and it has good elasticity and peeling property. The hardness of synthetic mica powder is higher (between 3 and 4), and the tensile strength and compressive strength are better than that of natural mica powder. Natural mica powder is stable in acid-base solution, but it is easy to decompose at high temperature. Synthetic mica powder is stable to acid and base at room temperature, but will be slowly corroded by sulfuric acid above 300℃. Better thermal stability, not easy to release gas. Natural mica powder is widely used in electrical appliances, welding rods, rubber, plastics, paper making, paint and other fields. Synthetic mica powder is mainly used in high-end electrical insulation materials, aviation, aerospace, national defense industry and other high-tech fields. Because synthetic mica powder needs to be produced through complex chemical processes, its production cost is usually higher than that of natural mica powder. Therefore, in the market, the price of synthetic mica powder is often higher than that of natural mica powder. However, with the continuous progress of production technology and the gradual emergence of scale effects, the price of synthetic mica powder is expected to gradually decrease.

Natural high quality Muscovite:feel fine, soft lubrication.

In the world of arts and crafts, mica powder is an artist's secret weapon. Its vibrant colors and shimmer make it a favorite among crafters who want to add a touch of elegance to their projects. Artists use mica powder to create stunning effects in resin art, where it can be mixed into resin to add color and depth or sprinkled on top for a shimmering finish. Moreover, mica powder can be applied to paper crafts and card making, enhancing the visual appeal of handmade cards, scrapbooks, and other personalized crafts. The powder can also be used in art supplies like paints and inks to produce shimmering, metallic hues.

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.

Layer upon layer of mica

In short, there are significant differences between natural mica powder and synthetic mica powder in production methods, color and appearance, performance characteristics, application fields, and price and cost. Synthetic mica powder is superior to natural mica powder in terms of high temperature resistance, transparency, electrical insulation, stability and mechanical properties, while natural mica powder has more advantages in resource acquisition, cost and color. When choosing which type of mica powder to use, you can consider the high temperature resistance of the required material, electrical insulation performance, transparency and color requirements, evaluate the mechanical strength and hardness of the required material, consider chemical stability and other different application scenarios and technical requirements to make a reasonable choice.

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.