Mica Hazardous or not.

[erik winkler]

Hello everybody!
Here is again another strange question from the crazy Dutchman. Hope you have some answers.
I tried to look it up on the internet, but still was not sure.

After a lot of searching in Nederland, I found some Mica flakes in a sort of ceramic store.
I seperated them in small flakes and big flakes. But after doing some tests I realized that even the smaller ones are to big for a nice detailed etching surface.
So I was planning to put them in an old grinder and chop the shinny smiley flakes to pieces!

But for some reason I have the preposed feeling that the flakes are health hazardous and when i read about them they are often quoted with the dangerous mineral asbestus.
Which, as some of you might know, causes long cancer...

So my question is: Is Mica dust extra dangerous or not? In other words, should I go for the chopping or not?

Putting on a Darth Vader suit will protect me, but not my neighbours.

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Eric,
With the Internet at your fingertips, all you have to do is search a topic.
This came up at the top of the search I just made for you:
http://www.2spi.com/catalog/msds/msds01824.html

Potential Health Hazards:

Skin:
Not considered hazardous, though dust, if generate could be irritating.

Eyes:
Not considered hazardous. May cause mechanical irritation if particles
are generated and they should get into the eye.

Inhalation:
Not a route of exposure under normal usage, unless the materials is
excessively cut or even ground, to generate dust particles. May be
harmful if inhaled over a long period of time and may also cause
delayed lung injury. Always avoid breathing dust of this material.

M Jackson

[Larry White]

Erik-
I grade my mica flakes by sifting through various size screens. I've come up with 4 different textures. I've been able to obtain these 4 grades just by sifting the flakes as they came. I have also ground up larger flakes into smaller ones using a coffee grinder. As for the dust...I don't think it's such a great idea to inhale any type of dust. Wear a dust mask or respirator. Might be best to do it out side.

[erik winkler]

Mike,
I tried to look it up on the internet in Dutch, but after reading every mentioned dutch link: nothing....
Maybe I should just never speak Dutch anymore and become English... do you have a green card?

Larry,
I remember the photo of this great experiment. It is the inspiration of my experiments.
My big flakes look like the panel on the right and my small ones look like the one second on the right.

Will grind the shiny mutants to bits and pieces.
Thanks for your replies!

[Larry White]

The one on the far left is from the powder left from sifting out the fine grade. It yields just about the same texture as etching with liquid acid (face up), but without having to build a dam and have the hazards of a pool of acid.

Oh, and always read and understand all the hazards associated with the use of any caustic chemicals.

[DAVE SMITH]

Erik. You can buy the Mica from a company called Ronald Britton in Doncaster,they have many seperated sizes in stock.
Dave

[Kent Smith]

Just to add that Mica sheet can be used in place of asbestos but they are not the same material. They used to use the heavy sheets called isinglass in the fronts of pot belly stoves so you could see the flames trhough them. Thin sheets were used like windows on carriages too.

Erik...no green card, just green paint.

[erik winkler]

As for the dust...I don't think it's such a great idea to inhale any type of dust. Wear a dust mask or respirator. Might be best to do it out side.

[Larry White]

That sample is 17" x 4-1/2" and the individual etched squares are 3-1/2".