Paper
The
paper industry is the largest consumer of Talc and generally uses
300 Mesh (53µ) with the range of brightness varying between 80%
to 96%.
Talc is used in three stages of
paper making :
- As a filler to
give smoothness, porosity and opacity to paper in addition to
reducing the cost.
- To control Pitch and
Stikies... during the paper making process, oleo
resinous droplets micro or colloidal in nature get added to the
stream. These micro impurities can clog the paper machinery.
Talc being hydrophobic absorbs these micro droplets or if the
droplets are big then talc lamellae stick to their surface thus
controlling their stickiness.
- In coating formulations...
because of its platy ness and high brightness, talc leads to
reduction in usage of expensive whitening and helps in
controlling gloss of the coat. Talc also provides smoothness to
the surface and imparts opacity to the coat.
Additionally talc reduces the
friction on paper manufacturing machinery thus reducing wear.
Plastics
With the plastic industry on a fast
growth-track, the usage of talc is growing fast in PP, HDPE, LDPE,
PVC, ABS & Thermosetting Compounds.
Talc is having a huge demand as a
filler due to its following properties:
- Platy in nature
- Excellent blending
characteristics with oleoresinous materials.
- Excellent thermal resistance
- Superior electrical resistance
- Chemically inert
- Smooth greasy feel
In
Polypropylene, talc is used to improve mechanical strength and
scratch resistance. The Automotive industry uses
Talc for dashboards, interior trims, bumpers etc. Talc is also
used in plastics for computer bodies and
garden furniture where increased UV resistance
is a highly desirable characteristic. It is also used as
antiblocking agent in film-like bags used for fruits, vegetables
etc. Many compounding factories are also using Talc.
Talc imparts the the following
properties to plastic:
- Improves Chemical & Heat
Resistance.
- Improves impact absorbing
strength.
- Gives dimensional stability.
- Improves stiffness, hardness,
tensile strength.
- Gives electrical insulation
property.
The Plastic Industry uses Talc of
20µ to 1µ particle size.
Pharmaceuticals
Although
a small user, the pharmaceutical industry requires highly pure,
specialized and bacteria free talc for Tablets, Ointments and
Dusting. The thermal & chemical inertness of talc makes it an
ideal filler.
The pharmaceutical talc is processed to
remove impurities like iron oxide, dolomite, carbon, magnesium and
carbonate minerals.
Ceramics
A major consumer of industrial
minerals, the Ceramic Industry (especially Asia) uses Talc for "body"
and glazing of:
- Wall Tiles
- Sanitaryware
- Electrical Insulating
(Steatite Talc)
- Porcelain
- Dinnerware
The Talc used is generally of
80-93% whiteness and 200-300 Mesh. |
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