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Talc

 

Talc is a mineral, very common on earth in eruptive and metamorphic rocks. It is a magnesium silicate whose main properties are immutability, lamellarity and softness. It is white in colour with various shades ranging from snowy white to ivory white, from greenish white to gray or brownish. In nature, talcous rocks can be characterised by different mineralogical associations that make the individual varieties extracted quite different from each other; for this reason, for industrial uses often speaks of ‘talcs’.

 

C.B.C. both sells and uses talc in the production of its own products. Talc is used in various industrial fields as an anti-sticking agent, being hydrophobic, lipophilic and resistant to acids and bases.

 

  • Rubber industry uses talc to improve abrasion and traction resistance.
  • Plastic industry. Talc acts as reinforcement because it is exceptionally resistant to scratches, shocks, abrasions, and deformations.
  • Paper production uses talc as a substitute for kaolin mainly for high-end coated papers, increasing opacity and improving the results of printing.
  • Talc for ceramic uses. Talc is used as a flux. It lowers the melting point of glazes, improving their vitrification properties. If mixed with other materials like feldspar and clay, talc is used as a refractory material as it resist to thermal shocks.
  • Paints. It confers uniformity in drying, it improves its flat effect and its resistance to chipping and corrosion.
  • In foudries it facilitates releasing the casting from the mould.
  • Cosmetics and farmaceuticals use talc with high level of whiteness, high purity index and controlled bacterial concentration. Talc is used in the production of creams, refreshing powders, as opaquing agent in foundation and other make-up products and as a excipient in support of the active ingredients.
  • Talc for agricultural uses. It is a natural insecticide, defending crops from fungal attacks. It helps to prevent the loss of moisture from products and to protect them from exposure to ultraviolet rays improving growing conditions.