Mica is a silicate mineral that's made up of sheets or layers. It's found in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks.

Properties

• Cleavage: Mica's crystals can be split into thin, flexible sheets

• Appearance: Mica can be transparent, opaque, or pearly

• Color: Mica can be white, colorless, purple, rosy, silver, gray, dark green, brown, or black

• Hardness: Mica has a Mohs scale hardness of 2.5–4 for lepidolite, 2.5–3 for biotite and phlogopite, and 2–2.5 for muscovite

Uses

• Insulation: Mica is used as an electrical insulator in electronic devices

• Heat resistance: Mica is used in heat-resistant windows and in foundries, welding, and frictional systems

• Reinforcement: Mica prevents cracks and reduces warpage in thin plastics

• Cosmetics: Mica is used in makeup and cosmetics

Types of mica

• Muscovite: The most common type of mica, which is white or colorless

• Phlogopite: A dark brown mica

• Lepidolite: A purple mica

• Biotite: A black or nearly black mica

• Fuchsite: A chromium-rich variety of muscovite

Mica is collected from mines in block, scrap, or flake formats.

What is Mica ?