Sweet smell of success for Chinese company

China's first recyclable calcinator for mica was developed successfully by China Crystal New Material Holdings Co Ltd, cutting the calcining process by 33.3 percent and greatly improving the quality and efficiency of compounding mica.

According to Dai Zhongqiu, a senior executive at China Crystal, traditional calcinators contain a high proportion of iron and impurities, therefore the quality of the compound mica they produce is relatively low, and it usually costs a lot for the post processing of compound mica. In addition, using firebricks, one of the main components of traditional calcinators, is time-consuming, and it is hard to manage damaged firebricks in an environmentally friendly way. These disadvantages seriously restrict the development of the compound mica industry.

"It took us four years to develop the recyclable calcinator. We have overcome a series of difficulties from fundamental materials to process technology. The new product will change the global production mode of compound mica, and will promote the high-quality development of China's compound mica industry," Dai said.

The company's research and development team noted that it only takes 55 hours for the new calcinator to calcine compound mica, which is two thirds of the original process. Besides, it saves production costs by roughly 10,000 yuan ($1,490), and raises the raw material utilization rate to 95 percent, greatly improving the quality of compound mica. Current calcining experiments showed that the produced compound mica flakes have no impurities, contain good flexibility and are in thin sheets, which can significantly lower the post processing cost.

Wang Xizhen, an expert from Beijing Artificial Crystal Research Institute, said that compound mica has a wide range of applications. Compound mica powder can be applied in the high-end paint, enamel, anti-corrosion and chemical sector. Compound mica paper is widely used in electronic devices, motors, chemicals, metallurgy and household appliances, while compound mica ceramics' feature of corrosion-resistance and high temperature-resistance makes it popular in ships, electric traction locomotives and high voltage switches.

"In addition, compound mica cast products can be used as inorganic insulated materials that are high temperature-resistant, machinable and corrosion resistant, and insulating tape made of compound mica can guarantee normal power supply in fire within two to three hours, without interference from the surrounding harsh environment. The invention of recyclable calcinator for mica is of great significance to the industry," Wang said.

According to China Crystal, Youjia Pearlescent Mica Co Ltd, which is controlled by China Crystal, produces more than 30,000 metric tons of compound mica annually, becoming the largest production base for compound mica around the world. The global demand is around 35,000 tons per year.

This year, China Crystal plans to invest roughly 80 million yuan into building 112 recyclable calcinators for mica. It is estimated that these new calcinators, which will be in place by June, will raise the company's capacity by 25 percent, and the investment will pay off in two years.