MICA MATERIALS
Mica is a mineral. By its chemical
composition, mica is an aluminosilicate, and by its structure a
phyllosilicate. It is formed by parallel sheets of silicate tetrahedra
on each side of an octahedral layer. Depending on the elements and their
position in this structure, a great variety of micas have been
established. Two of them have been adopted by their industrial value:
- The most prevalent type is Muscovite (light colored mica), in which aluminum is a major component of the octahedral layer
- The other grade of mica is Phlogopite (darker colored mica), which contains magnesium as a major component of the octahedral layer
Furthermore, mica is incombustible, and withstands temperatures of 600° to over 1000° C according to the grade. COGEBI is using these two types of mica, mainly in:
- Insulation of cable for fire resistance
- Thermal insulation of equipment that is subject to extremely high temperatures, such as induction ovens
- Electrical and thermal insulation of electrical machines