Itatex® invests in research and technology in order to add value to the industrial minerals. The economical impact of its mineral specialties, on the final cost of the finished product, needs to be analyzed, not only in terms of unitary value, but also in function of productivity gains and the specific aggregation of properties.

Each Itatex specialty is researched and developed in order to meet the intrinsic technical needs of the product or of an engineering specification. The constancy and uniformity of Itatex specialties are achieved thanks to the discerning selection of the mineral beds with specific properties, added to the 100% Brazilian technologies and to the strict control of physical-chemical properties of the raw materials.

Itatex accomplishes chemical analyses in all its line of products through electronic sweeping microscopy, diffraction and fluorescence of x-ray and grain size distribution analysis through laser diffraction. It is ITATEX® repeatability and reproducibility warranty of properties.

All projects of new specialties are developed and based on scientific principles. The morphologies and the intrinsic properties of the minerals are combined, modified and explored to get:

• mechanical reinforcement, through maximizing the aspect ratio of the particulates, surface area and introduction of covalent connections between the coatings, adhered to the surface of the particles, and the chain of post-vulcanization elastomer;
  

• delaminated particulates in order to reduce the torque (ML) of the compounds, improving the processability significantly
• particulates with good electric properties (dielectric), thermal (thermal conductivity) and differentiated optical properties (coverage power, transparency and silk-opaque treatment);
• high fluidity particulates in order to make it easier their removal from vertical silos by gravity and automatic dosage;
• hydrophobic, water repellent particulates;
• superficially modified particulates in order to improve the compatibility interface between elastomer and coated particulate;
• particulates with non-adhering function (“antiblock” effect) and de-molding function;
• ecological flameproof particulates, smoke suppressor and electric anti-trailing;
• particulates that accelerate the reticulation (vulcanization) in order to reduce the molding cycle time;
• particulates to aggregate to the technical products resistance to fatigue, to wear, resistance to tear, ductility, as well as to provoke foreseeable variations in the elastic properties depending on the concentrations.
  

Characterization and properties of Itatex® mineral specialties

Calcinated aluminum silicate particle size distribution curves using the principle of the Law of Stokes.

X Ray diphratogram - SACA C Itatex

Difractogram showing characteristic peaks of a kaolinic clay

Model idealized in order to define the aspect ratio and deformations, around the hexagonal particle under tension. Relative fraction between contact area and volume of the particle with different formats. The aspect ratio is estimated by the relation between the diameter (D) of the hexagonal element, circumscribed in a circle, by its thickness (t), as shown in the idealized model (above). The hexagonal format is representative of the lamellar / foliar morphology of hydrosilicates. When analyzing the model to the left, it can be deduced that the increase of the length (D), will reduce the deflection contribution of the deformation lines at the ends of the hexagonal particle. This model allows to understand the reason for which it is possible to attenuate the internal relaxations and to reinforce the polymer, when the D / e ratio increases and the ratio between the contact area and the volume of the hexagonal particle becomes maximum (to the left).