China Mica Flakes Revolutionizing the Rubber Industry Comprehensive Guide to High-Performance Fillers factory and suppliers

Mica Flakes Revolutionizing the Rubber Industry Comprehensive Guide to High-Performance Fillers

Short Description:

Mica flakes, with their distinctive lamellar structure, exceptional chemical stability, and remarkable compatibility with rubber matrices, have firmly established themselves as high-performance functional fillers in the rubber industry. Unlike conventional fillers such as carbon black or calcium carbonate, mica flakes offer a unique combination of mechanical reinforcement, weather resistance, and dimensional stability, making them the ideal choice for rubber products operating in harsh environments, including automotive seals, industrial rubber hoses, and conveyor belts.

In the realm of automotive rubber seals, including door seals, window seals, and engine gaskets, mica flakes play a pivotal role in enhancing tear resistance and compression set performance. These seals are subjected to frequent mechanical stress, extreme temperature fluctuations ranging from -40°C to 120°C, and prolonged exposure to UV radiation, factors that can cause ordinary rubber seals to crack, harden, or lose elasticity over time.

The addition of 8%-15% of high aspect ratio mica flakes, with a particle size of 30-80 μm and an aspect ratio of ≥100, to ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (EPDM) rubber yields impressive results. The tear strength of the rubber increases by 40%-60%, while the compression set rate, measured after 70 hours at 100°C, drops significantly from 35% to 15%. A leading automotive parts manufacturer in Germany conducted extensive tests using our mica flakes in EPDM door seals. The results were remarkable: the seals maintained their elasticity and sealing performance for 500,000 opening and closing cycles, compared to just 300,000 cycles for seals without mica flakes. This extended service life not only reduces maintenance costs for vehicle owners but also enhances the overall reliability of automotive products.

For industrial rubber hoses used in the transfer of chemicals, oil, and water, mica flakes are instrumental in enhancing chemical resistance and pressure resistance. These hoses frequently come into contact with corrosive media and must withstand high internal pressures of up to 10 MPa. Mica flakes, with their impermeable lamellar structure, form an effective barrier within the rubber matrix, reducing the penetration of chemicals by 50%-70%.

When added to nitrile rubber (NBR) hoses at a dosage of 10%-20%, mica flakes significantly increase the burst pressure of the hose by 25%-35% and extend its service life in oil transfer applications from 1 year to 2-3 years. A chemical plant in the Netherlands put our mica-reinforced NBR hoses to the test in the transfer of 20% concentrated sulfuric acid. The results were conclusive: after 12 months of continuous use, the hoses showed no signs of swelling or leakage, whereas standard NBR hoses failed after just 4 months. Additionally, mica flakes improve the dimensional stability of rubber hoses, reducing shrinkage during vulcanization by 15%-25% and ensuring a precise fit with connectors.

All our mica flakes meet stringent industry standards in terms of key technical indicators. The moisture content is ≤0.3%, ash content ≤0.5%, oil absorption ≤25 mL/100g, and they exhibit excellent heat resistance, remaining stable at temperatures of up to 600°C. Furthermore, our products comply fully with RoHS and REACH regulations, with heavy metal content well below global safety limits (lead ≤0.0005%, arsenic ≤0.0003%).

When it comes to logistics, we prioritize the quality and integrity of our products. Our mica flakes are packaged in moisture-proof bags (25 kg/bag), featuring an inner polyethylene film and an outer kraft paper bag to prevent moisture absorption during sea transportation. We have established strong partnerships with leading shipping companies such as Maersk and COSCO, ensuring timely delivery to customers in Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia within 15-30 days.

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Product Tags

Mica is the general name of mica group minerals. It is the aluminosilicate of potassium, aluminum, magnesium, iron, lithium and other metals, all of which are layered and monoclinic. The crystal is pseudohexagonal lamellae or plate like, occasionally columnar. The lamellar cleavage is very complete, with glass luster and elastic sheet. The refractive index of mica increases with the increase of iron content, from low protrusion to medium protrusion. The variety without iron is colorless in the flake. The higher the iron content, the darker the color, and the more polychromatic and absorptive.

Mica flake size: 6-10mesh, 10-20mesh,
Mica powder: 200mesh, 325mesh, 600mesh, 800mesh, 1250mesh, 2000mesh, 3000mesh and 5000mesh.

Application
In the industry, biotite mainly uses its insulation and heat resistance, as well as acid resistance, alkali resistance, compression resistance and peeling resistance, as the insulation material of electrical equipment and electrical equipment; secondly, it is used to manufacture the windows and mechanical parts of steam boilers and smelting furnaces. Mica chips and mica powder can be processed into mica paper, and can also replace mica sheet to produce various low-cost and uniform thickness insulating materials.

Muscovite is the most widely used in industry, followed by phlogopite. It is widely used in building materials industry, fire fighting industry, fire extinguishing agent, welding rod, plastic, electrical insulation, paper making, asphalt paper, rubber, pearlescent pigment and other chemical industries.

Ultrafine mica powder is used as functional filler for plastic, paint, paint, rubber and so on, which can improve its mechanical strength, enhance toughness, adhesion, anti-aging and corrosion resistance.