How to Use Mica Powder in Epoxy Resin

There are myriad ways to add colour to your resin projects such as resin dyes, powder pigments and even food colourants.

But, with its eye catching pearlescent shimmer, rock solid stability and wide range of colours, mica powder still remains a popular choice for epoxy resin crafters.

How is mica powder used in epoxy resin?

Epoxy Resin Inlay maps and images

A great way to show off the versatility of mica and resin are inlay maps and images of popular locations and attractions. You can find many examples of these in online marketplaces such as Etsy.

The process is straightforward – a map or image is etched in wood by hand or CNC cutting. The coloured mica pigment, mixed with resin, is then poured into the outlined recess of the image.

The result is an attractive sign or ornament with the added appeal of swirled mica colour and clear, reflective resin.

Resin River Table Tops and Mica powder

Another use of epoxy resin and mica powder are in ‘river table tops’. Epoxy resin river table tops are widespread now, and for good reason. They are both utilitarian and stunning.

Epoxy resin river table tops effortlessly become the focal point of any room, and a reliable conversation starter.

They are made from two pieces of timber of equal length and thickness. The pieces are put in a mold to stop any spillages or leaks. The wood is positioned so that there is a gap that separates both pieces.

The mica powder and resin mix is then poured within the gap. This creates a vibrant river of colour between the whole length of the encased wood.

Resin Casting

The really fun use of mica and resin is resin casting. This can be three dimensional sculptures of anything you want; animals, geometric shapes or jewellery.

The process used in resin casting is simple – the resin is mixed to a 1:1 ratio of resin and hardener . The mixture is then poured into a silicon mold and left to cure.

Resin casting kits are available everywhere. They include the resin and hardener ( marked with ‘A’ and ‘B’ to make it easy) and some pouring cups.

These kits are pretty much fool proof. The only thing to pay attention to is the time you have to pour the resin before it gets too thick.

This is called its ‘working time’ which can be 20-40 minutes and will change if you are working in the summer or in a hot room. A good tip is to work in small batches.

That way you won’t get caught short and end up with over thick resin which you can’t pour and then you’ll have to chuck it away.

You can leave the resin cast in the silicon mold for 4 hours. Then, when it’s firm, you can take it out and leave it to cure.

A resin casts’ hardening time or curing time can range from 8 hours to 24 hours depending on the resin kit you use. But to be honest, they are pretty much all the same. And as long as you follow the instructions you should be fine.

How much Mica Powder to add to Epoxy resin?

As a rule of thumb adding 0.25g of mica powder for every 100ml of epoxy resin will be enough to give a good colour to your epoxy resin.

If you want a more transparent colour then mix 0.1g of mica for every 100ml of resin. Don’t be afraid to experiment to get your perfect colour depth.

Mica powder can also increase or decrease the curing time of the epoxy resin, depending on how much you add and the properties of the different micas. So bear this in mind when mixing your colours.

Using Epoxy Resin and Neon Fluorescent Pigments

You can add about 0.2g of neon pigment to every 100ml of resin. This ratio should colour the resin enough so that it’s still transparent when it hardens.

This is great for making resin casts with a ‘stained glass’ effect

The main ingredient of the neon pigment we used is polyester, which is a type of plastic that sticks together when you add it to the resin.

You don’t want pieces of unmixed pigment in the finished resin.

To avoid this problem, mix the resin slowly for 2-4 mins and work your way from the sides to the centre of the mixing cup/container. Make sure you break up any clumps of neon fluorescent pigment that form in the mixture.

If any bubbles appear, just let the resin sit for about 1 min. Then pour the epoxy resin into your mold and leave it to set.