Applications of Quartz Sand Across Multiple Industries

Quartz sand is an important industrial mineral raw material. It is widely used in water treatment, glass production, mechanical casting, artificial quartz stone, metallurgy, ceramics, functional fillers, superhard materials, chemicals, petroleum, fiberglass, calcium silicate boards, photovoltaics, semiconductors, lighting, optical fibers, aerospace, and optics.

Traditional fields such as water treatment, glass, and casting consume large amounts of quartz sand. However, the supply and demand are generally balanced. High-end applications, such as photovoltaics, semiconductors, lighting, optical fibers, aerospace, and optics, require high-purity and ultra-high-purity quartz sand. Some of these applications rely on imports.

Water Treatment Industry

Quartz is widely used in water treatment, glass production, and mechanical casting. Additionally, it is essential in producing artificial quartz stone, metallurgy, and ceramics. Furthermore, quartz serves as a functional filler in superhard materials, chemicals, and petroleum products. It is also used in fiberglass production, calcium silicate boards, and photovoltaics. In the semiconductor and lighting industries, quartz plays a crucial role. Moreover, it is integral in optical fiber manufacturing, aerospace applications, and optics.

Glass Industry

Silicon dioxide is the main structural component of glass, ensuring high strength and chemical stability. Quartz sand is the primary industrial raw material in the glass industry, including flat glass, daily-use glass, ultra-white glass, photovoltaic glass, and quartz glass. Different types of glass have varying requirements for quartz particles. Approximately 40% of quartz sand is used in various types of silicate glass, with flat glass accounting for 20%.

Mechanical Casting Industry

Silica sand, or quartz sand, is widely used in casting. The sand consists mainly of quartz and ranges in particle size from 0.020mm to 3.350mm. It is classified into washed sand, scrubbed sand, and selected sand. Natural silica sand is used for non-ferrous alloys, cast iron, and small to medium cast steel pieces. Selected natural silica sand is used for core sands and molds with organic binders.

Artificial Quartz Stone Industry

To produce artificial quartz stone, manufacturers first gather natural quartz stone (in the form of sand and powder), silica sand, tailings, and other inorganic materials. Then, they bond these materials together using high-polymer resins or cement. The main raw material is natural silica sand, which makes up more than 90%. Colorants, resins, and other additives account for about 10%.

Metallurgical Industry

Quartz makes refractory materials like silica bricks. It also smelts silicon alloys such as silicon iron, silicon manganese, and silicon chromium. High-silica quartz is crucial in industrial silicon production. Therefore, metallurgical quartz is categorized into three types: silica for refractory materials, ferroalloy production, and industrial silicon. The SiO2 content of silica for smelting silicon iron is greater than 97%.

Ceramics Industry

Quartz is a key raw material for ceramics. It is crucial in ceramic bodies and glazes. Some ceramic products use up to 40% silica sand. Quartz is also used in ceramic glazes and formulations requiring high purity. Purity, iron and titanium content, and particle size are key quality indicators in ceramics.

Functional Fillers

Ground quartz sand can be processed into silica micro powder. This micro powder serves as a functional filler in various industries. It is used in copper-clad laminates, epoxy encapsulants, electrical insulation, rubber, plastics, coatings, adhesives, and cosmetics. In the EMC (Epoxy Molding Compound) industry, silica micro powder is the main filler, with filling rates reaching over 90%.

Superhard Materials

Quartz sand, petroleum coke, and high-quality silica stone are the main raw materials for producing silicon carbide. Black silicon carbide is made from quartz sand, while green silicon carbide is made with petroleum coke and silica stone. Salt is added as an additive.

Chemical Industry

Manufacturers use quartz sand in the production of potassium silicate, sodium silicate, and various forms of silicon dioxide. Specifically, they produce sodium silicate—also known as water glass—by melting quartz sand and alkali at high temperatures. For producing sodium silicate, silica sand needs to meet high purity standards, particularly for iron and aluminum oxide content.

Petroleum Industry

Quartz sand is widely used in the petroleum industry as a proppant in hydraulic fracturing. Natural quartz sand makes up 80% of the proppants used, while artificial ceramic proppants and coated proppants account for the rest. Silica sand has become the dominant material in the petroleum industry.

Fiberglass Industry

Quartz sand is an essential material for making fiberglass. Fiberglass is used in construction materials, electronics, transportation, petroleum, automotive manufacturing, aerospace, and more. silica sand constitutes a significant portion of the raw material costs in fiberglass production.

Calcium Silicate Board Industry

Quartz sand is a key ingredient in calcium silicate boards, which are used in building insulation, ceilings, and partition walls. Moreover silica sand constitutes around 40% of the raw material mass in calcium silicate boards.

Photovoltaic Industry

High-purity quartz sand is mainly used to produce multicrystalline silicon, monocrystalline silicon, and quartz products such as diffusion tubes, carriers, and crucibles in the photovoltaic industry. Silicon material must have minimal metal impurities to maintain purity during the silicon crystal refinement process.

Semiconductor Industry

In the semiconductor industry, high-purity silica sand is used to produce semiconductor-grade quartz tubes, rods, and crucibles. Notably, the main characteristics of semiconductor-grade silica sand are low iron and alkali metal content, with strict purity standards.

Lighting Industry

Quartz glass is vital for lighting applications due to its excellent transmission properties across ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectra. Quartz tubes are used in various lighting products, including halogen lamps, HID lights, automotive lamps, and specialty infrared and ultraviolet lamps.

Optical Fiber Industry

High-purity quartz sand is used in the optical fiber industry to make optical fiber preforms and related materials. Specifically, the purity of quartz is critical for ensuring the quality of optical fibers, which are essential for communications and data transmission.

Optical Industry

High-purity quartz sand is used to produce optical glass for various optical instruments. Quartz glass is transparent and has excellent optical properties, making it essential for spectrometers, cameras, prisms, and lenses. It also has strong thermal stability.

Epic Powder

The advanced grinding and classification equipment of Epic Powder play a pivotal role in refining silica sand for high-demand applications. With over 20 years of experience, the company excels in producing high-purity quartz products that are essential for industries such as photovoltaics, semiconductors, and aerospace. Their ball milling and classification systems ensure that quartz sand meets the strictest purity standards, supporting cutting-edge technological advancements globally.