Talc

What is talc (soapstone)?

Talc is the world's softest mineral. All talc ores are soft, platy, water repellent and chemically inert, but no two talcs are the same. Talc is a vital part of our everyday life. Talc is found in products such as magazines, car and house polymers, paints and tiles.

Talc is a naturly layered hydrated magnesium sheet silicate that has a platelet structure with the chemical formula Mg3 Si4 O10 (OH)2. The elementary sheet is composed of a layer of magnesium-oxygen/hydroxyl octahedra, sandwiched between two layers of siliconoxygen tetrahedra. The main or basal surfaces of this elementary sheet do not contain hydroxyl groups or active ions, which explains talc's hydrophobicity and inertness.

 

Properties:

  • The softest mineral (Mohs hardness 1)
  • Hydrophobic (water-repellent), not soluble in water
  • Organophile (binds readily with organic materials)
  • Chemically inert, acid and alkali resistant
  • Electrically and thermally insulating

 

Application examples:

Plastic                                                                   
Filler medium for polypropylene/polyamide/polyethylene; increases rigidity and whiteness levels, nucleating agent, insulating, flame-retarding, water-repellent

Paints and coatings
Construction systems, corrosion protection, grindable systems, adhesives; improved viscosity and covering power, prevents sedimentation, fixes pigments

Paper
Filler material, pitch control, surface coating; improves whiteness standards, cover properties and printability

Ceramics, rubber, asphalt
Filler material; increases rigidity and temperature resistance, reduces processing temperatures

Pharmacy and cosmetics
Powder, additive for pills; serves as a carrier for both dry and moist materials

Foods / animal feeds
Release agent and carrier substance for colors and nutrients (food additive E 553b), flow regulating agent

Sewage
Slurry coagulant, optimizing treatment effectiveness

Other uses
Process additive, lubricant and anti-adhesive, and many others

 

Application area talc:
LITHOS has a spezial composed portfolio, for a diversified application area.

Talc LP - functional additive for a variety of applications.

Talc LPS - functional additive for a variety of applications.

LithoBatch -  the versatile and flexible talc masterbatch.

LithoComp - the tailor-made polypropylen-talc-compound.

 

Presentation "Mineral solutions for the plastics industry."