When we talk about commodities, we would mention, nickel, iron ore, copper, gold, lithium … etc. Not many people would put silica into that sentence.
Silica is like the fundamental component of almost everything that we need as the all-consuming human species. There are very few items in our daily life that do not involve some percentage of silica. Unless you are living in solitary confinement, you will have windows, and that is silica. It is mind-boggling that most people do not think about silica as a sought-after commodity.
It is an irreplaceable ingredient in lots of high-tech applications, for example, precision casting, fibre-optic cables, and the raw materials for computer chips. It is present in our computers and phones. It is even key to the infrastructure of the internet, renewable energy and telecommunications.
It is a vital part of how we get around – our cars and buses, roads and railways.
Our homes are made from it – rocks, glass and ceramics, and many of the things we use every day contain or rely on crystalline silica. For the handy type of people, think of life without the silicone gel. How would we fix those little things in the house without silicone gel?
In all of these everyday contexts, crystalline silica is entirely safe. It is inert, meaning that it does not react with any chemicals, and it is not harmful to health.
Common quartz sand and powder
Main compositions: SiO2≥99-99.5%, Fe2O3≤0.06-0.1%
Granularity range: 2-150 meshes (10-0.01mm). It can be produced as request.
Main use: It is used in the industries such as green and black carbonization silicon, common glass products, porcelain enamel, cast steel, water filtration, alkali, chemical industry and sandblast.
Refined quartz sand
Main compositions: SiO2≥99.5-99.9%, Fe2O3≤0.01-0.05%
Granularity range: 2-200 meshes (10-0.0075mm). It can be produced as request.
Main use: It is used in quartz melting, exact foundry, grinding wheel, high-grade glass and refractory materials
Pure quartz sand and powder
Main compositions: SiO2≥99.9-99.99%, Fe2O3≤5-100ppm
Granularity range: 1-0.5mm,0.5-0.2mm,0.2-0.01mm,0.01-0.075mm, 45um
Main use: It is used in the industries such as refractory quartz glass tube, high-grade glass products, electrical equipments and optic fibre products.
Crystal silica powder
Main compositions: SiO2≥99.5-99.9%, Fe2O3≤0.008-0.03%
Granularity range: 300 meshes, 400 meshes, 500 meshes, 600 meshes, 800 meshes, 1000 meshes, 1250 meshes
Main use: It is used as insulation of normal high voltage electricity and in other industries such as epoxy resin plastic package, refractory materials, chemical industry, silicon and rubber.