Industrial Applications

The single largest use of wollastonite is in the ceramics industry where it is used as a principal ingredient in the ceramic bodies required for the manufacture of floor and wall tiles. It is also utilized as an additive in ceramic bodies and glazes. Wollastonite fires white to gray, matures at a slightly lower firing temperature than most conventional ceramic bodies and can be fired at a faster rate. The firing temperature is 991ºC to 1196ºC. It has been reported that certain wollastonite bodies can be fired along with the glazes thus eliminating a second firing.
It is used as a filller in paint and paper and many other products. In metallurgy, it is used as a welding rod coating, to control the viscosity of the slag and alloying agents. A suitable mixture of finely pulverized wollastonite with china-clay improves the properties of the clay to be used for paper-coating. It is found to increase the strength of Portland cement when mixed as an additive.
Wollastonite is still to take the chemical field though the prospects are quite good. The mineral has been found to react readily with various acids like sulphuric, phosphoric and hydrochloric acids and with alkalies such as soda ash. Certain types of pastes have been produced by dissolving the mineral in some proportions of sulphuric and phosphoric acids. These pastes possess a good hiding and oil absorption power. It is certain that many more new uses of wollastonite will be developed soon. Its latest use is in the manufacture of mineral wool.