Industrial Minerals
What it is
Mica flakes are the coarse fraction of processed muscovite, sold by screen size rather than by mesh. Where mica powder works inside a film, flakes work as discrete particles — bridging a fracture in a borehole, insulating a heating element, or sitting visible in a decorative finish.
Why buyers specify it
- Graded by screen so the particle size matches the fracture or the effect you are targeting.
- Chemically inert and stable at high temperature, which is why it survives downhole.
- Three grades blended cover fine, medium and coarse seepage losses in one product line.
Grades we supply
Grade names are ours; the fineness and the duty are what you match against your current material.
| Grade | Screen size | Usually bought for |
|---|---|---|
| XF-Fine | 20 – 40 mesh | Seepage loss control |
| XF-Medium | 8 – 20 mesh | Partial loss zones |
| XF-Coarse | 4 – 8 mesh | Severe loss zones, decorative aggregate |
| XF-Blend | Graded mix | General lost-circulation material |
Other finenesses and surface treatments are available against a firm enquiry. If you are switching from another supplier, send their data sheet and we will match the curve rather than the mesh number.
Typical analysis
Chemistry
| Component | Typical range | Note |
|---|---|---|
| SiO2 | 44 – 49 % | — |
| Al2O3 | 30 – 36 % | — |
| K2O | 8 – 11 % | — |
| Loss on ignition | 3 – 6 % | — |
Physical properties
| Property | Typical range | Method basis |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk density | 0.25 – 0.45 g/cm³ | Loose |
| Moisture as packed | ≤ 1.0 % | — |
| Thermal stability | to ~600 °C | — |
These are typical ranges for mica flakes, not a specification. The values that govern your order are the ones measured on your lot and printed on its mill test certificate. Ask for a sample and the certificate that goes with it before you commit a production trial.
Where it is used
Mica Flakes is not one product sold 2 ways — it is 2 different conversations about the same mineral. We supply it into oil & gas drilling and foundry & refractories, and in each of those the grade that works is chosen for a different reason: fineness in one, brightness in another, oil absorption or purity in the next.
Each industry below has its own page on this site, written for the people who formulate in it rather than for a general reader. If you work in one of them, start there — it will tell you which mica flakes grade we would quote for your application and what we need to know before quoting it.
- Oil & Gas Drilling — Lost-circulation material, graded to the loss zone.
- Foundry & Refractories — Insulating additive in refractory and hot-topping mixes.
Packing
| Pack | Detail | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 25 kg paper or PP bag | Palletised 40 bags per pallet, stretch-wrapped | Powders |
| 50 lb bag | US-standard weight where the plant prefers it | Powders |
| 1,000 kg / 1 MT jumbo bag | Four-loop FIBC with discharge spout | Powders, sand, granules |
| Bulk | Pneumatic tanker or loose in container, where volume justifies it | Sand, granules, lump |
Private-label bags with your own artwork are available from one container. How private label works.
Documents with every shipment
- Mill test certificate for the lot, with the measured values, not the range
- Certificate of analysis signed by the processing plant
- Safety data sheet in the US 16-section GHS format
- Certificate of origin and the commercial invoice and packing list
- Asbestos test report where the mineral and the application call for one
Related minerals
Need a price on mica flakes?
Send the grade, the tonnage and the delivery ZIP code. Quote and free sample back within one business day.