What does Mica mean?

[profstoff]

So many TVR paint colours seem to have Mica in the name (eg Mica Blue, Mica Red) . Does anyone know what it means?

[Podie]

IIRC it means it has big fleks of shiny bits in the paint... whereas a metallic has a fine "dust" of shiny bits...

[RedCabbage]

Metallic flakes are a bit like pyramids.
Mica flakes a bit like a half pipe.
The effect is quite different so it's a no-no to paint a metallic finish with mica and vice versa.

[fly boy]

Mica is a natural silicate & chemically inert.
The flakes added to paint add brightness, highly reflective, they also improve the bonding strength, mechanical stability & waterproofing believe it or not.
A good analogy would be to think of them as fish scales, but smaller ...

[LordGrover]

If you really want to know, then have a look here. I got lost/disinterested when I got to:

wiki said:

monoclinic with a tendency towards pseudo-hexagonal crystals...

Edited by LordGrover on Tuesday 6th February 12:15

[anonymous-user]

wiki said:

monoclinic with a tendency towards pseudo-hexagonal crystals...

Makes perfect sense

I prefer the explanation above of mica has bigger metal fleks etc...

[jagdpanther]

KirstM said:

wiki said:

monoclinic with a tendency towards pseudo-hexagonal crystals...

Makes perfect sense

I prefer the explanation above of mica has bigger metal fleks etc...

Fish scales pressed my Iq levels a bit far let alone monoclinictriangulardiamondhexagons

Edited by jagdpanther on Tuesday 6th February 12:56

[profstoff]

LordGrover said:

If you really want to know, then have a look here.

wiki said:

The mica group ... having highly perfect basal cleavage. ... The highly perfect cleavage...

I think I like Mica

[profstoff]

LordGrover said:

If you really want to know, then have a look here.

wiki said:

The mica group ... having highly perfect basal cleavage. ... The highly perfect cleavage...

I think I like Mica

[ahonen]

Mica is another term for pearl-effect, or pearlescent paint finishes. Old Audi quattros had a pearl white option and many Vauxhalls do these days - though it's often difficult to tell metallic and mica apart in the British weather.

[SEN 18]

Dictionary states,any of a group of minerals that crystallize in thin,somewhat flexible easily separated layers.