Nepheline Syenite
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Product Benefits
Technical Details
Nepheline syenite (silicate, naturally occurring blend of albite, microcline and nepheline) is a feldspatic mineral mined in Canada and Norway.
Nepheline syenite can be characterised by:
- High purity
- Absence free crystalline silica (free of labelling)
- Brightness
- Relatively low refractive index, making it a transparent filler in various binders
- High inertness in various media
- Easy wetting
- Transparency for UV-radiation (ie. suitable for UV-curing processes).
Basic properties
| Property | Value | Unit |
| Hardness (Mohs) | 6 | [-] |
| Refractive index | 1.51 – 1.53 | [-] |
| Density | 2.6 | [kg/ dm3] |
Product overview
Product overview Minex
| Product | Grade | D50
[µm] |
Tappi
[-] |
OA
[g/ 100 g] |
pH
[-] |
Moisture
[%] |
| Minex | 2 | 13.6 | 85.5 | 26.5 | 10.3 | 0.09 |
| 3 | 11.0 | 88.0 | 27.0 | 10.3 | 0.09 | |
| 4 | 7.6 | 88.7 | 30.0 | 10.4 | 0.10 | |
| 7 | 3.5 | 90.0 | 33.0 | 10.4 | 0.16 | |
| 10 | 2.6 | 90.5 | 35.0 | 10.5 | 0.18 | |
| 12 | 1.5 | 92.0 | 34 | 10.5 | 0.20 |
Production location Minex
Product overview Minex S
| Product | Grade | D50
[µm] |
R457
[%] |
OA
[g/ 100 g] |
pH
[-] |
Moisture
[%] |
| Minex | S-4 | 9.2 | 81.5 | 21 | 10.1 | 0.1 |
| S-6 | 5.1 | 84.4 | 22 | 10.2 | 0.2 | |
| S-7 | 4.3 | 85.4 | 23 | 10.4 | 0.2 | |
| S-10 | 1.9 | 85.6 | 31 | 10.4 | 0.4 |
Mining locations Minex S
Minex is the brand name for the nepheline syenite used in coating applications.
Benefits
- Dirt pick-up resistance: the presence of nepheline syenite improves the resistance of the coating towards dirt (from the atmosphere, for example).
- Ease of tinting: due to the combination of refractive index, brightness and colour, paints containing nepheline syenite provide excellent reproducible colour results when working with tinting systems.
- Texture effect: usage of coarse grades will provide texture to the coating surface.
- Tint retention: paints containing nepheline syenite show improved tint retention over other minerals when subjected to natural weathering.
- UV resistance and weatherability: due to its inertness, nepheline syenite supports good UV and weatherability performance to exterior architectural coatings.
- Block resistance: with its non-stick properties, the use of nepheline syenite allows for faster stacking of coated substrates as they won’t stick together.
- Burnish resistance: due to its hardness of 6 on Mohs scale, nepheline syenite provides good burnish resistance (low tendency to become glossy when rubbed).
- Gloss control: the gloss level of an interior coating can be regulated by selecting the appropriate grade of nepheline syenite.
- Scrub resistance: due to its hardness of 6 on Mohs scale, nepheline syenite improves the wet-scrub resistance of interior decorative paints.
- Stain blocking and stain resistance: nepheline syenite acts as a supporting mineral filler in stain blocking and stain resistant coatings.
- Abrasion and scratch resistance: due to its fairly high hardness of 6 on Mohs scale, nepheline syenite provides abrasion and scratch resistance to the coating.
- Chemical resistance: due to its inert nature, nepheline syenite provides good chemical resistance compared to conventional fillers.
- Clarity: due to its fairly low refractive index, nepheline syenite becomes transparent when combined with certain binder systems.
- UV-curing compatibility: being transparent for UV radiation, nepheline syenite does not block the curing mechanism.
- IR reflection: nepheline syenite contributes to the IR reflection of roof coatings.
- Pore and grain filling properties (sealer): with low impact on the viscosity, nepheline syenite can be used as a mineral filler in sealers to give them more body.
