Soapstone
Zai Trade International (Pvt) Ltd is the Verified Soapstone (Talcum) Supplier in Pakistan. As a trusted Soapstone Exporter in Pakistan. We Guaranteed high grade Soapstone (Talcum). Talc is the world’s softest mineral. Although all talc ores are soft, platy, water repellent and chemically inert, no two talcs are quite the same. Talc is a vital part of everyday life. The magazines we read, the polymers in our cars and houses, the paints we use and the tiles we walk on are just some of the products that talc enhances. Talc is a hydrated magnesium sheet silicate with the chemical formula Mg3Si4O10(OH)2. The elementary sheet is composed of a layer of magnesium-oxygen/hydroxyl octahedra, sandwiched between two layers of silicon oxygen tetrahedral. The main or basal surfaces of this elementary sheet do not contain hydroxyl groups or active ions, which explains talc’s hydrophobicity and inertness. Talc is practically insoluble in water and in weak acids and alkalis. It is neither explosive nor flammable. Although it has very little chemical reactivity, talc does have a marked affinity for certain organic chemicals, i.e. it is organophilic. Above 900°C, talc progressively loses its hydroxyl groups and above 1050°C, it re-crystallizes into different forms of enstatite (anhydrous magnesium silicate). Talc’s melting point is at 1500°C.
Talc (Soapstone) in Pakistan
Pakistan is host to some of the best Talc deposits in the world, which are now being brought forth. With our own mines, each exhibiting a unique and diverse quality we have now made a systematic and well defined Mining Schedule and strategy to plan & sort out different grades of ores. Each ore sample is then carefully selected and analyzed on site, in terms of their Chemical & Physical properties. The lustrous white talc extracted from our mines like pearls from a shell are one of the whitest & purest talc known to man or available any where on the face of this earth, which has won many a laurel for being the whitest talc in the world. These Talc bodies carry very little impurities they are Asbestos Free and exhibit a very platy lamellar character making it a “LITTLE WHITE MIRACLE” which we are proud to process for our customers all over the world.
Quality
Our Talc is grey brown white in lumps having whiteness of 90+ with very low LOI of less that 5.5. This talc has very crystalline and platy surface with high purity.
Size
Available size is:
10 – 200 mm
Chemical Analysis
| Parameters | Value |
| Silica (SiO2) | 60.57 |
| Magnesium (MgO) | 31.90 |
| Calcium (CaO) | 00.40 |
| Iron (Fe2O3) | 00.29 |
| Loss on Ignition (LOI) | 5.5 |
| Whitness | 90 + |
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Areas of Application
Paint
Some of the important properties of Talc used in paint are colour, fineness of grind, oil absorption, chemical inertness and resulting viscosity. Talc helps to impart integrity, reinforce paint films control viscosity and prevent sagging of paint films. It improves suspension and prevents settling of solids at the bottom of the paint container. Because talc is very soft (1 on MOHS hardness scale), it causes only minimal abrasion to process and application equipment. It disperses readily in both aqueous and solvent-based paints. Talc having a surface area greater then 12 m2/g is used for gloss control when an exact degree of Sheen or luster is required. talc has the ability to fulfill all major criterions for the paint industry. Our experts from Pakistan & abroad can assist you in delivering custom made talc for all your production needs.
Paint Characteristics
- Whiteness
- Platy Particle Shape
- Low Oil Absorption
- Opacifying Power
- Fine Particle Size
Plastics & Compoundings
Talc is an important functional filler for compounded thermo-plastic and thermoset polymers. Because of its platy particle shape & purity is used in plastic primarily as reinforcing filler. It increases the stiffness of polypropylene by 80% at a 20% loading and by 150% at a 40% loading. It also increases the heat resistance of polypropylene, reduces mold shrinkage, improves melt rheology, and reduces molding cycle time. Compared to other reinforcing fillers, such as fiberglass, mica, talc is much less abrasive. It gives polypropylene superior low-temperature shock resistivity. In polyethylene film talc is used as an anti-block agent, an additive that roughens the surface of tacky film to prevent it from adhering to itself. Loading levels range from 0.5 to 1.0%. In vinyl talc is used to improve the hot strength of profile extrusions and to reduce the shrinkage of floor tile. Fine particle size grades are used as nucleating agents for semi-crystalline polyolefins, nylon, polyesters, and chlorinated polyethylene. Talc can be used in polyolefins at loading levels ranging from 1 to 50% by weight. Talc particles may be described as a series of very small plate-shaped particles which, when aligned, tend to make possible a finished part with improved physical properties. The nature of the particle size & shape will tend to produce slip or a form of lubricity. It is some what difficult to disperse in conventional plastic mixing equipment due to overall tendency for more bulking. The material is less sensitive to pH changes; therefore, it can be used in applications where minor acidity is a problem. Talc, as filler for plastics, has some special applications.
Generally, it is used not as the sole filler in molding formulae but in combination with other filler materials. It facilitates removal from molds, helps achieve a better sheen or gloss on parts, and lowers the extrusions die wear through its lubricating effect. It is also an effective anti-blocking agent. Talc promotes better fire retardancy and aids in processing and final application of various plastic sealants and mastics. It is also useful as an aid in certain color applications, as filler for parts in contact with acids, and as a viscosity modifier to accomplish some improvement of overall finished product physical properties. Our Talc exhibits following characteristics:
- Whiteness
- Platy Particle Shape
- Chemical Inertness
- Low Iron Content
- Electrical Resistivity
- Fine Particle Size
- Low Abrasion
- Power Bulk Density
Ceramics
A major consumer of Industrial minerals, the Ceramic industry (especially Asia) uses Talc for “body” and glazing of: Wall tiles, Sanitary Ware, Electrical Insulating (Steatite Talc) Porcelain Dinner Ware. The talc used is generally of 80 ~ 93% whiteness and 200 – 300 mesh. The formation of enstatite as talc disassociates during firing produces high thermal expansion bodies, which results in glazes being put into compression and thereby minimizes crazing. Low moisture expansion bodies are produced, which results in good resistance to delayed crazing. The massive nature of the talc aids in dry pressing and in preparation of good casting slips. Low firing temperatures are possible. The shrinkage and absorption properties of bodies are fairly constant over a wide temperature range. Good white fire bodies are possible. Glazes of unusual brilliance and attractiveness can be fitted readily to high-talc bodies. Talc is also used in steatite bodies, which are manufactured into high-frequency electric insulators, a segment of the ceramic white wares market. A minor use of talc is as an additive in dinnerware bodies composed of clay, flint and feldspar. Compromising as much as 6% of such bodies, talc provides greatly improved craze resistance. Our Talc exhibits the following characteristics.
- Uniform Chemical Composition
- Constant Amount of Shrinkage
- Fired Color
- Particle Size Distribution
Paper
One of the major consumers of talc is the paper industry (especially Europe & Japan.) As paper filler talc has a minimal negative effect on sheet strength but improves ink receptivity. It also reduces gloss but enhances opacity & brightness. The main reason for the growth of talc consumption in paper is the availability of high quality micronized talc. When Talc is used as a Titanium dioxide extender in paper it has a distinct weight advantage, a specific gravity of 2.8 vs. 4.2 for TiO2. This advantage becomes more important as postal rates increase. The unique property of preferentially wetting oily substances in the presence of water makes talc extremely effective in pitch control. Pitch & other oleo resinous components of paper pulps cause serious manufacturing problems if they are not controlled. Talc micronized to a surface area of 12m2/g or more, absorbs the pitch and helps prevent accumulations that would otherwise deposit on the rolls, wire, and other parts of the paper machine. The talc products can be used to pigment latex, starch, or alpha protein coating colors. Ultra fine talc products can be used with clay, calcium carbonate, and titanium dioxide pigments to control rheological properties, calendaring, gloss, ink holdout, opacity & brightness.
Paper Filler
- Whiteness
- Brightness
- Platy Particle Shape
- Low Abrasion
- Controlled Top Size
- Opacifying Power
- Particle Size (8 to 12mm median)
Pitch Control
- Whiteness
- Brightness
- Surface Area
- Low Abrasion
- Particle Size
- Good dispersion without surfactants
Cosmetics
In cosmetic industry talc is used in baby and body powders, facial products, anti-perspirant sticks and various types of creams and lotions. The quality of talc that can be used in cosmetic application has following characteristics.
- Quartz Content (1% maximum, may be lowered to 0.1% maximum)
- Tremolite Content (0.1 maximum)
- Loss on Ignition (6.0% maximum at 10000C)
- Neutral pH.
- Acid soluble substances (2% maximum)
- Water soluble substances (1% maximum)
- Arsenic Content (3ppm maximum)
- Lead Content (20ppm maximum)
- Odor, slip, lubricity, particle size, and whiteness according to costumer specification.
Pharmaceuticals
Talc has been in very great demand by the Pharma industry due to its purity, thermal and chemical inertness.
Textile sizings are made up of a binder, starch, glue, or synthetic polymer together with mineral powders referred to as weight-adding agents. Finishing agents are employed to improve web impregnation, appearance, dye receptivity, to provide temporary sizing, and to add weight.
Food
Talc (Soapstone) is the purest version of Hydrated Magnesium Silicate in pulverized powder form. Due to its physio-chemical as wells as mineral inertness, regulating authorities all around the world consider Purified Talc safe for human consumption. In conjunction, Purified Talc possesses several other innate physical and mechanical properties which are congenial for use in food industry. As a result, it is recognized as an acceptable additive in the processing of pulses, chocolates, baked goods and other food products. Talc is also used as an anti-stick coating agent in a number of popular foods including chewing gum, boiled sweets, cured meats and for rice polishing. In olive oil processing, tals is used as processing aid, it increases yield and improves the clarity of oil.
Rubber
In rubber industry talc is used for two purposes, one to prevent rubber moulds from sticking and the other as compounding material in the preparation of certain types of hard rubber. The consumption of talc for the latter use is small. Generally grade II to III are used in the rubber industry. Talc should be of fine mesh all passing through 200 mesh. Talc is the powdered form of Magnesium Silicate. It possesses several physical and mechanical properties which uniquely suit rubber manufacturing. Our Talc exhibits following characteristics:
Characteristics
- As a lubricant
- Prevent stickiness.
- It improves tensile strength, toughness and resilience.
- Reduces permeability of gas through the rubber. The property is extremely important for rubber tyres.
- It maintains the elasticity of rubber even under high load and provides compression resistance.
- Talc reduces electrical conductivity of the final product
Other Uses
- Dry Fire extinguishing powder
- Cereal polishing
- Bleaching agent
- Floor Wax
- Water filtration
- Leather treatment
- Shoe polish
- Welding rod coating
- Printing Ink
- Casting for Iron ore in the direct reduction process
- Asphalt
- Jointing Compounds
- Confectioneries
- Foam / Rubber
- Putties
- Chewing Gum
- Animal Feed
- Lubricants
- Soaps Manufacturing