SPI Supplies® Mica Sheets and Disks
Cleaving forces
Some researchers are interested in the cleaving forces, that is, the force
needed to cleave off a layer of mica. The short answer is that we are
unaware of anyone who has actually made such measurements, and if someone
has indeed made such measurements, we would be appreciative for anyone who
might point is in the direction of that information.
Mica has a rhombohedral crystal structure and therefore only cleaves along a
given plane. Even though we can not point to studies where it has actually
been measured, we can still address the parameters that would be an important
influence on the force needed to cleave, the main ones being:
- Purity of the mica ( Inclusions of air or iron will certainly cause a difference in the forces needed to cleave)
- The amount (thickness of layer) that is being cleaved. Keep in mind that a block of mica could begin as thick
as a few inches, and one might be cleaving individual layers as thick as 20 mils (500 µm) or as thin as 1 mil (25 µm).
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Tuesday February 09, 2010
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