Overview#
Mica is a group of naturally mined silicate minerals prized for heat resistance and electrical insulation. It turns up in electronics and electrical insulation, paints and coatings, plastics, and cosmetics.
Unlike most substances in this knowledge base, mica raises no concentration-limit question. Its compliance angle is where and how it is sourced, not what it does in the product.
The compliance angle: responsible sourcing#
The concern with mica is not toxicity but responsible sourcing. Some mica is mined in conditions linked to child labour and human-rights risks. For that reason mica, alongside cobalt, is covered by the Extended Minerals Reporting Template (EMRT), maintained by the Responsible Minerals Initiative.
Mica is a sourcing question, not a chemistry question. The duty is to know where it came from and under what conditions, traced through the supply chain, not to keep it below a threshold in the finished product.
How it differs from other regulated substances#
This makes mica different on two fronts. It is not one of the 3TG conflict minerals, which use a separate template (the CMRT), and it is not a RoHS or REACH restricted substance, where the concern is a concentration limit. For mica the question is where and how it is sourced, traced via smelters, refiners and processors rather than measured as a level in the product.