Silica sand, which is also known as industrial sand, is a quartz sand with great purity that has become important in a few industries. It is composed mostly of silicon dioxide (SiO₂), a compound that lends itself to different uses from construction to advanced technology industries. This blog discusses the properties of silica sand and its broad applications in industries.
What is Silica Sand?
Silica sand consists of mostly silicon dioxide, which is generally comprised of 95%-99%. Silica sand can be obtained from different sources and while it can be quite pure, it can also contain trace elements such as iron oxides, aluminum oxides, and sodium oxides that affect the color and usefulness of the sand. The physical characteristics of silica sand also add to its applications; these characteristics include grain size, shape, and hardness.
Key Characteristics:
- Grain Size and Shape: Silica sand consists of grains that measure between 0.1 mm and 2 mm in diameter. In the case of glassmaking, there is need for finer grains while the range of coarse grains are normally employed in construction.
- Color: Ideally, pure silica sand is of white or colorless texture, but its impurities can cause it to have pink, yellow, or brown colors.
- Hardness: While majority of Silica sand are impure, the ones that are pure have a high Mohs score which gives silica sand a score of 7 – they have a high degree of hardness and weathering enables them to be frequently used in high durability items.
Unique Properties of Silica Sand
- High Melting Point: The melting point of silica sand is roughly 1700 degrees Celsius (or around 3092 degrees Fahrenheit), making it suitable for glassmaking and foundry casting.
- Chemical Inertness: Chemical reactions are unlikely with silica sand, thus qualifying it for a variety of chemical processes as well as being used as a filtration material.
- Low Thermal Expansion: This characteristic allows silica sand to retain its shape during temperature fluctuations, an important aspect in many manufacturing processes involving heat.
- High Permeability: Due to the permeable nature of the silica sand, transfer of fluids within it is effective, making the sand useful in oil and gas recovery as well as water filter systems.
Major Industrial Uses of Silica Sand
Silica sand finds application in numerous industries due to its unique properties:
- Glass Manufacturing: Silica sand is an important raw material used for making glass. It is highly pure and chemically stable, produced clear and strong glass for windows, bottles, and various other products.
- Construction: In construction works, silica sand plays a significant role in the making of concrete and sand mortar. It helps in the strengthening and durability of buildings as well as infrastructural development.
- Water Filtration: Because silica sand is very permeable and inert, it is widely used in a variety of water filtration techniques to remove impurities from water without adding any impurities.
- Oil and Gas Recovery: Silica sand, also known as frac sand in the oil drilling industry, is a sand used in hydraulic fracturing to retrieve oil and natural gases. Its highly crush resistant characteristics also support open fractures leading to effective extraction.
- Paints and Coatings: Silica sand performance characteristics enhances the strength and beauty of coatings and paints with uniform color distribution and no cracking.
- Sports Surfaces: Due to their texture and drainage, specialized kinds of silica sand are used in sports surfaces such as golf courses and playgrounds.
- Sandblasting: Silica sand particles are used in abrasive blasting for surface cleaning in many industries like shipbuilding and for removal of paints and graffiti.
- Specialized Applications: Also, silica sand is a filtering unit used in aquariums and other specialized purposes as well as in ceramics.
Conclusion
Due to the different qualities of silica sand, it is an important raw material in various industries. The use of high-quality silica sand in construction materials, glass manufacturing, oil recovery and several other applications is indeed vast. As more and more industries emerge, the future of silica sand for industrial use appears bright as the demand for silica sand will increase. Understanding the characteristics and applications of silica sand can help businesses make informed decisions about its use in their operations.