Due to high mining costs, small market size, and high capital risks, flaky mica is no longer mined in the United States. Most thin mica is mined in India, where labor costs are relatively low.

Flaky mica mining:

There are several sources of schistose mica produced in the United States: metamorphic rock schist, placer and pegmatite produced during the processing of feldspar and kaolin resources. It is mined using traditional open-pit mining methods. In soft residual materials, bulldozers, shovels, scrapers, and front-end loaders are used during the mining process. North Carolina's mica production accounts for half of the total production in the United States. Hard rock mining of mica containing ore requires drilling and blasting. After blasting, the ores are reduced by dropping balls, loaded onto trucks with shovel and transported to the processing plant where mineral mica, quartz and feldspar are extracted.

The main use of ground mica is as a joint compound in gypsum wall panels, where it serves as a filler and extender to provide smoother consistency, improve workability, and prevent cracking. In the paint industry, ground mica is used as a pigment extender, which is also beneficial for suspension due to its light weight and flaky form. Ground mica can also reduce inspection and chalk, prevent shrinkage and shear of the paint film, increase resistance to water penetration and weathering, and make the color tones of colored pigments brighter. Ground mica is also used in the drilling industry as an additive for drilling mud.

The plastic industry uses ground mica as a filler and reinforcing agent. The rubber industry uses ground mica as inert filler and mold lubricant for manufacturing molded rubber products, including tires.

Flaky mica is mainly used in the electronic and electrical industries. The main uses of flake mica and block mica are as electrical insulators for electronic equipment, insulation materials, instrument "glass", windows for furnaces and kerosene heaters, dielectric for capacitors, decorative panels for lamps and windows, insulation materials for motor and generator armatures, magnetic field coil insulation materials, and magnetic core insulation materials for magnets and commutators.