Safe, non-crystalline silica (NCS) fillers made from a naturally pure, micronized pumice add functional improvements to paint and industrial coatings.
The uses for a micronized functional filler extender include not just paints, but rubber, plastics, and fiberglass compounds, expoxies, and caulkings.
This scanning electron microscope photograph shows the frothy, grippy nature of NCS-grade pumice, even crushed to a 10-micron size particle.
HESS PUMICE MINES and refines the world’s purest commercial deposit of white pumice—and from that pumice produces a line of micronized, non-hazardous amorphous silica products for functional fillers and extenders in paints, coatings, rubber, and plastics.
Alternatives for Crysalline Silica (CS) fillers have been few and often hard to source—until now. Our line of Non-Crystalline Silica (NCS) grades have all the beneficial features of CS without the carcinogenic health risks.
A True Functional Filler
Hess NCS amorphous silica is composed primarily of aluminum silicate, and, in structure, is a naturally calcined volcanic glass foam consisting of highly vesicular strands permeated with tiny holes. It is this distinctive, sponge-like foamed-stone structure that make the Hess NCS grades true functional fillers—the particles fully integrate and mesh into the polymer networks of various coatings and compounds. This results in a functionally useful, reinforced pigment or compound—moreso than is possible with platey extenders such as mica and talc.
Compared to typical extenders, improvements in coating properties have been demonstrated in key areas such as improved corrosion resistance, and improved impact resistance. Testing also show improvements in flexibility, film integrity, grain cracking resistance, color retention, and overall durability.
In addition, Hess NCS products provide outstanding scrub and burnish resistance due to the particle hardness (6 Mohs hardness). The lower density of our NCS grades (.051 gal/lb) allows for a volume replacement, rather than a per pound replacement, providing a considerable cost savings.
Workplace Safety and Health
Crystalline Silica (respirable) has been identified as a “group 1” carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). OSHA therefore requires all products containing more than .1% crystalline silica to be labeled as a cancer hazard. Hess NCS products are non-hazardous, crystalline silica free to the detectable limit of .05%)
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION and SUPPORT DOCUMENTS:
» Technical Data: the physical and chemical properties of our natural pumice.
» Pumice Safety Data Sheet (PDF)
» Download: Hess NCS Product Data Sheet (PDF)
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PLEASE READ THE SHIPPING NOTES BELOW BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER.
SHIPPING NOTES
1 | For weight-quantities over 20 lbs, shipping cost savings are typically realized by ordering a full-sized production bag (boxed) instead of multiple 20 lb. boxes.
2 | For large orders (over 3 full-sized production bags), please contact us at fc@hesspumice.com for a freight rate.
3 | The shopping cart system occasionally glitches on an address and throws up an “order can’t be shipped to your address/location” (or similar) error message. Not true. We ship almost anywhere. Contact us at fc@hesspumice.com and we’ll take care of you.
4 | The shopping cart system is set up to auto-calculate domestic (U.S.) shipping—for those ordering from elsewhere, please email us at fc@hesspumice.com and we’ll see what we can do.
5 | Orders will take up to 3 business days to prepare and process before shipping.
| HESS NCS FUNCTIONAL FILLER |
| Available in grades ranging from 3 microns to 12. Used to extend and add functional performance improvement to paints, stains, industrial coatings, plastic compounds, rubber compounds, caulkings, and epoxies. |
| » Size/Grade: HESS NCS-3 (Particle size average of 3 microns) »  Technical Data Sheet (PDF) for Hess NCS-3 |
| BUY HESS NCS-3 |
| » Size/Grade: HESS NCS-5 (Particle size average of 5 microns) » Technical Data Sheet (PDF) for Hess NCS-5 |
| BUY HESS NCS-5 |
| » Size/Grade: HESS NCS-10 (Particle size average of 10 microns) » Technical Data Sheet (PDF) for Hess NCS-10 |
| BUY HESS NCS-10 |
| » Size/Grade: HESS NCS-12 (Particle size average of 12 microns) » Technical Data Sheet (PDF) for Hess NCS-12 |
| BUY HESS NCS-12 |
SOURCED FROM THE WORLD’S PUREST COMMERCIAL DEPOSIT OF WHITE PUMICE
Contact the Pumice Store:
Fulfillment and Shipping: fc@hesspumice.com
Wholesale Opportunities: salesteam@hesspumice.com