How to Select Talcum Powder

I. The First and Most Important Aspect: End Use

This is the starting point for all decisions and directly determines the requirements for all subsequent indicators.

High-Safety Applications (direct human contact):

• Cosmetics: Such as talcum powder, foundation, eye shadow, blush, etc. These applications have the highest standards and must be absolutely safe.

• Food and Pharmaceutical Applications: Such as tablet coating agents, food additives (such as anti-sticking agents for chewing gum and candy), and health supplements.

Industrial Functional Applications (as fillers for material modification):

• Plastics:Talcum powder Used to enhance the rigidity, heat resistance, and dimensional stability of plastics.

• Coatings:Talcum powder Used as a filler and weighting agent, affecting the suspension, leveling, and gloss of coatings.

• Papermaking:Talcum powder Used in paper filling and coating to improve whiteness, smoothness, and printability.

• Rubber:Talcum powder Used as a filler to improve processing performance and product hardness.

• Ceramics:Talcum powder Used as a raw material in the manufacture of insulators, ceramic glazes, etc.

II. Core Considerations Based on Application

Once the application is clear, you need to focus on the following specific indicators:

1. Safety and Hygiene Indicators (for cosmetics, food, and pharmaceutical grades)

This is a non-negotiable red line!

• Asbestos Content: Must be zero! Asbestos is a recognized strong carcinogen. When purchasing, always require the supplier to provide an asbestos-free certificate issued by a reputable third-party testing agency (such as SGS or CTI). This is the most important prerequisite.

• Heavy Metal Content: Harmful heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium must strictly comply with relevant standards (such as China's "Cosmetic Safety Technical Specifications" or "Food Additive Standards").

• Microbial Limits: Total colony count, mold, and yeast counts must meet standards, and pathogenic bacteria (such as Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) must not be detected.

2. Physical Indicators (affects product performance and feel)

• Fineness (mesh size or particle size D97): The higher the mesh size, the finer the particles.

• High fineness (e.g., 1250 mesh and above): Provides a smoother feel and is used in high-end cosmetics, high-end plastic modification, and precision coatings.

• Medium-low fineness (e.g., 800 mesh): Talcum powder Used in general fillers, papermaking, rubber, etc.

• Whiteness and color: Directly impact the appearance of the final product. High-end cosmetics and paper coatings require talc with a high whiteness (≥90%).

• Feel and oil absorption: Cosmetic-grade talc is required to have a delicate, smooth feel. Oil absorption affects its dispersibility and dosage in coatings and plastics.

Below is the production process of our company's talcum powder.