The mineral wollastonite had been christened by a British chemist Mr. William Wollaston. The actual mineral is used as filler that comes as a crystal-like substance. Wollastonite can be found in thirty five different countries, but most abundant reserves are located throughout Mexico. A wollastonite supplier located in U.S.A. or in North America would usually source their wollastonite from Mexico. The grade of this mineral is evaluated by the wollastonite supplier. Wollastonite can be found in the U.S., but most supplies come from out of the country. This mineral is light in color with a most common burning stage usually at 1512ºC.
The mineral wollastonite is used all over the world as a reinforcing agent. Wollastonite is a mineral used in making building materials. Its chemical name is calcium silicate. It is also extensively used in the making of ceramic products and in the making of refractory bricks and refractory powder. Refractory bricks are high temperature resistant bricks. These bricks are used to line the inner surface of furnaces in the metal industry. Refractory material is in huge demand all over the world. The world steel industry is completely dependent on it. is an important refractory material and wollastonite is a main constituent.
The white or off-white element wollastonite has many other useful industrial applications. It is used in the automotive industry to make gaskets, friction materials, clutch parts, and brake pads. Many automobile manufacturers use wollastonite as replacement for asbestos due to the high carcinogenic properties in asbestos. Thus the white mineral makes a harmless replacement for asbestos. Another industrial application wollastonite is used in is the field of polymer manufacturing. Since wollastonite is a reinforcing agent, it is used to could shapes out of polymers. The mineral is used extensively in the paint industry because of its high PH value and low moisture content. Its low oil adsorption property makes it a good raw material for paint industry. In metallurgical applications it is used as coating of welding rod. Such a coating helps in controlling the viscosity of the slag. It is widely used in the cement industry. It is used as a strengthening additive in cement production.
When purchasing wollastonite the supplier will provide chemical specification from their lab of wollastonite product you are buying. Depending on the supplier Wollastonite can be purchased in many different quantities from large container sized bulk shipments to smaller bags of product. Wollastonite suppliers in the US must meet both EPA and OSHA safety requirements.
