USGS - science for a changing world

Minerals Information

  MI Team Home /  Commodity /  Country /  State /  Products /  Contacts / 

Mica
Statistics and Information

Publications Contact Subscribe

The mica group represents 34 phyllosilicate minerals that have a layered or platy texture.  The commercially important micas are muscovite and phlogopite.  Layering in the univalent (potassium, sodium), or true, micas imparts perfect basal cleavage, allowing crystals to be split into very thin sheets that are tough and flexible.  Layering in the divalent, or brittle, micas also results in perfect basal cleavage; the greater bond strengths, however, make them more brittle and less flexible.  Mica sheets are also transparent to opaque, resilient, reflective, refractive, dielectric, chemically inert, insulating, lightweight, and hydrophilic.  Mica also is stable when exposed to electricity, light, moisture, and extreme temperatures.

bullet Publications

If you are interested in receiving an email notice when a publication is added to this page, please refer to Minerals Information List Services.

(To view or print a document in PDF format, download the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.)

Annual Publications

Mineral Commodity Summaries

Minerals Yearbook

Special Publications

bullet Contact

 Mineral Resources Eastern /  Central /  Western /  Alaska /  Minerals Information
Crustal Imaging & Characterization /  Spatial Data

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America logo USA.gov logo U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/mica/index.html
Page Maintained By: rcallaghan@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: Friday, 01-Feb-2008 10:33:22 EST