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Protective and Durable Roofing Products With Specialty Minerals Ground Calcium Carbonates

Beautiful shingles enhance a home’s appearance and value, as well as providing necessary protection from the elements. Commercial and multi-unit residential buildings with flat or low-slope roofs also need the protection afforded by traditional asphalt roofing, or the newer thermoplastic olefin (TPO) or EPDM rubber roofing systems.

Ground calcium carbonates (GCCs), also called limestones, and ground dolomites, or calcium magnesium carbonates, contribute to the successful manufacture and installation of a variety of roofing products, while also improving their durability. These products include:

  • Asphalt roofing shingles
  • Asphalt fiberglass based roofing shingles
  • Asphalt shingle back surfacing
  • Roofing granules
  • TPO—thermoplastic olefin roofing membranes
  • EPDM rubber roofing systems

 

Asphalt Shingle and Roofing Granules
Click here to learn more about asphalt shingle and roofing granule products, or continue reading here to learn about the TPO and EPDM roofing applications, and the Specialty Minerals (SMI) ground calcium carbonates used in their manufacture.


TPO - Thermoplastic Olefin Roofing Systems    
Thermoplastic olefin (TPO) single-ply roofing membranes are among the fastest-growing commercial roofing products, gaining broad industry acceptance for their many performance and installation advantages.  

Demand is increasing for heat-reflective and energy-efficient roofing systems. TPO single-ply roofing membranes answer those needs, also providing exceptional resistance to ultraviolet, ozone, and chemical exposure.


Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonates for TPO Roofing
Smaller-particle-sized ground calcium carbonates and ground dolomites (calcium magnesium carbonates) are excellent fillers for the thermoplastic olefin resins used to manufacture the TPO roofing membranes. Suitable products from Specialty Minerals plants include:

  • Vicron® GCCs East – 3.5 to 10 micron high brightness ground calcium carbonates, manufactured in Adams, Massachusetts.
  • Vicron® GCCs West – 2.0 to 13 micron high brightness ground calcium carbonates, manufactured in Lucerne Valley, California.
  • Marblewhite® GCCs East – 200 and 325 mesh high brightness ground limestones from the Adams plant
  • Marblewhite® GCCs West – 125 to 325 mesh high brightness ground limestones from the Lucerne Valley plant
  • Dolocron® dolomites – 200 and 325 mesh, calcium magnesium carbonates with good brightness, manufactured in the SMI Canaan, Connecticut, plant.

Click on the product family name above to download the technical data sheet for the product of interest.


Specialty Minerals Calcium Carbonates for EPDM Roofing Systems    
Durability, design versatility, and installation ease are among the many reasons EPDM is the most popular material for both new and reroof low-slope roofing applications. EPDM roofing systems are based on a synthetic rubber compound—a high-performance, ethylene-propylene diene terpolymer—that provides outstanding weathering characteristics in climates worldwide. EPDM roofing has long service life, having high resistance to thermal shock, UV, ozone, wind, hail, and abrasion.

Calcium carbonates of a medium fineness, in the 200 to 325 mesh range, are used for filling the EPDM rubber used for membrane manufacture. The Specialty Minerals ground limestones and dolomites recommended for EPDM roofing are:

  • Marblewhite® GCCs East – 200 and 325 mesh, high brightness ground limestones, produced in the SMI Adams, Massachusetts, plant.
  • Marblewhite® GCCs West – 125 to 325 mesh, high brightness ground limestones, manufactured in the SMI Lucerne Valley, California, plant.
  • Dolocron® dolomites – 200 and 325 mesh, calcium magnesium carbonates with good brightness, from the SMI Canaan, Connecticut, plant

Click on the product family name above to download the technical data sheet for the product of interest.

All of Specialty Minerals GCC and dolomite plants are ISO 9001 quality-certified, and use stringent quality and process-control procedures to ensure the consistency and performance of the products.

 

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