Mica Washers
Mica Washers
Advanced Seals & Gaskets Ltd maintains a stock of electrical insulation materials, including papers, resins, laminates, and plastics. These materials are sourced from a network of reputable suppliers, cultivated over the years. Among our electrical insulation offerings, Mica stands out.
Mica is just one example of the diverse materials available for electrical applications, each possessing unique and exceptional properties. Mica is created by bonding layers of mica paper together with a resin, yielding either rigid or flexible boards. These boards come in thicknesses ranging from 0.10mm to 50mm and are available in sheet and roll forms, allowing for the conversion into washers.
Precision cutting is paramount in producing reliable and well-fitting washers. Our in-house manufacturing team diligently follows customer drawings or samples, specifying the Outer Diameter (OD), Internal Diameter (ID), and thickness, ensuring a precise match and mitigating the risk of washer failure in its application. Our skilled workforce and advanced machinery, including presses and CNC machines, enable us to produce Mica washers in a wide range of sizes and quantities, with or without self-adhesive faces.
Product Enquiry
For information on Mica Washers please complete the following quick enquiry or call us on +44(0)1384 252555.
Key Characteristics of Mica
- Colour: muscovite (white) micaand phlogopite (green) mica.
- Sheet Size: 1000 x 1200 mm
- Thicknesses: 01mm - 50mm (depending on grade)
- Density: 2.6 – 3.2 gm/cm3
- Temperature Range: 500°C to 1000°C (depending on grade taken)
- Flame resistance:. Flame retardant and non-flammable
- Chemical resistances: inert to water, most acids (except hydrofluoric and concentrated sulphuric), alkalis, conventional solvents and oil.
Full technical data can be supplied upon request,
or downloaded from our online portal.
What are Mica Washers ?
Electrical insulation washers, offered in various colors depending on grade, act as flattened rings positioned between surfaces to reduce friction and unsteadiness. In this context, they serve as insulating barriers, limiting electric current flow while supporting electrical conductors without permitting current transmission. Mica, a versatile mineral, falls into a group of alumina, iron, calcium, magnesium, and alkaline mineral silicates. It exists in two mineral types: Muscovite and Phlogopite, available in both rigid and flexible sheet forms.
Why use Mica Washers?
Many customers opt for Mica washers due to their outstanding features. Like other electrical insulation materials, Mica washers create a barrier, safeguarding electrical conductors during installation, repairs, or device use.
Mica washers offer thermal, electrical, and flame resistance, along with efficient heat transfer and mechanical strength. These qualities enhance safety in electric devices, foundries, and manufacturing plants, effectively managing excess heat. Mica's exceptional properties make it ideal for applications such as fire door fittings and heat shields in vehicles and airplanes.
Benefits of Mica Washers
- Heat Resistance up to 1200ºC (rigid Phlogopite)
- Excellent flexural strength and easy to be punched and machined
- Excellent dielectric strength and low electrical conductivity.
- Incombustible
- Asbestos, and halogen free
- Excellent resistance to acids (excluding sulphuric acid), bases, mineral oils and solvents
Other Types ofMica Washers
Advanced Seals & Gaskets collaborates with multiple material manufacturers, providing our customers an extensive array of electrical insulation materials, including:
1. Epoxy Glass - green, offering mechanical strength, chemical and radiation resistance, low moisture absorption, and a temperature range up to +120℃.
2. Valox - featuring dielectric strength, electrical properties, an operating temperature range of -40°C to 130°C, and resistance to various chemicals.
3. Leatheroid - gray/blue paper gasket material used for electrical insulation in the industry.
4. MICA - mineral-based sheeting material with excellent mechanical performance, chemical resistance, and electrical and thermal insulation properties, capable of withstanding temperatures up to 1000℃.
5. MYLAR - strong, flexible polyester film renowned for its dielectric strength, moisture resistance, and insulation capabilities.
6. Nomex - withstands high temperatures, possesses high mechanical and dielectric strength, and serves as excellent insulation for electrical equipment.
7. Presspahn - brown material made from kraft wood pulp, known for its exceptional physical and mechanical properties, often used as electrical insulation.
8. SRBF - tough, rigid resin-bonded fiber material with an operating temperature of 120℃, low water absorption, and resistance to wear, impact, and chemicals.
9. SRBP (synthetic resin-bonded paper) - suited for high and medium voltage applications, offering good mechanical and excellent electrical insulation properties with low water absorption.
10. PTFE - non-conductive plastic material ideal for electrical insulation sheets, suitable for high-temperature applications and featuring excellent dielectric properties.
11. PVC - tough, lightweight, abrasion, chemical, and moisture-resistant material with good dielectric strength, making it suitable for electrical insulation applications.
Advantages of using Mica Washers
Mica boasts several remarkable properties, making Mica washers highly advantageous. They provide resistance to high temperatures, chemical durability, and robustness. With Mica available in two grades and offered in both rigid and flexible variants, washers cut from it find diverse applications, including furnace insulation, automotive industries, fire protection, and electrical barriers in appliances. The two types of Mica used for washer production are Muscovite and Phlogopite.
Muscovite Mica washers exhibit higher dielectric strength and superior insulating properties, making them prevalent in electrical applications and devices. Phlogopite Mica washers offer exceptional heat resistance, low electrical conductivity, and flexibility or rigidity options. They can withstand temperatures up to 1200°C, crucial for industrial settings with extreme heat and requiring precise insulation for machinery and equipment safety. Both Mica types are dielectric, ensuring low electrical conductivity in washers, making them suitable for electronic devices, circuit boards, industrial machinery, automotive components, and medical devices as electrical insulators.
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