Quartz sand and silica sand are similar in many ways, but they still have
some key differences in composition, usage, and processing methods. Here are
their main differences:
1. Composition difference
Quartz Sand
It is mainly composed of * * silicon dioxide (SiO ₂) * *, usually with a
content between 95% and 99%.
May contain trace amounts of impurities such as aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O3),
iron oxide (Fe ₂ O3), titanium (TiO ₂), etc.
Particles are usually colorless, white, or light yellow in color, with high
transparency.
Silica Sand
Broadly speaking, silica sand refers to a sandy substance containing a high
proportion of silicon dioxide (SiO ₂), typically with a SiO ₂ content of no less
than 90%.
It may contain a lot of impurities, such as clay, feldspar, mica, etc.
The color range is wide, and may appear white, light brown, gray, or even
red.
2. Formation and Source
Quartz sand is processed from natural quartz ore through processes such as
crushing, screening, washing, and purification. It usually comes from the
deposition of weathered and decomposed quartzite, granite, and other
minerals.
Silica sand mainly comes from sedimentary sand deposits or weathered sand and
gravel deposits, such as river sand, sea sand, aeolian sand, etc.
3. Differences in Purity and Application
characteristic
SiO ₂ content: Quartz sand 95% -99% (some high-purity quartz sand can reach
99.9%), silica sand 90% -98%
Impurity content: Quartz sand has fewer impurities, and some high-purity
materials can be used in fine industry. Silicon sand has more impurities and may
require further processing
Main applications: quartz sand glass manufacturing, high-purity silicon
materials, electronics, casting, ceramics, coatings, semiconductors, etc.,
silica sand construction, concrete, casting, glass manufacturing, water
treatment, fillers, etc
Quartz sand, due to its high purity, is commonly used in fine industries such
as high-end glass, electronic grade silicon materials, semiconductors,
photovoltaic industry, ceramics, precision casting, etc.
Due to its high impurity content, silica sand is more commonly used in
general industries such as building concrete, ordinary glass, casting sand,
water filtration materials, etc.
4. Difference between processing and purification
Quartz sand requires processes such as crushing, scrubbing, magnetic
separation, flotation, acid washing, and drying to improve purity, especially
high-purity quartz sand that requires the removal of impurities such as Fe ₂
O3.
Silica sand can usually be used after simple screening and washing treatment,
with low purity requirements.
5. Price and Market Demand
The price of quartz sand is usually higher than that of silica sand,
especially high-purity quartz sand, which is widely used in high-tech
industries, has a large market demand, and is expensive.
Silica sand has a relatively low price and is mainly used in large-scale
industrial production, such as the construction industry, with relatively
relaxed requirements for its chemical purity.
summarize
Quartz sand is high-purity silica sand, usually referring to SiO ₂ sand that
has been finely processed and has higher purity.
Silica sand is a broad sand like substance containing silicon dioxide,
including river sand, construction sand, casting sand, etc. Its silicon dioxide
content may be lower than that of quartz sand, with more impurities.
High end industries such as electronics, semiconductors, photovoltaics, and
precision glass tend to use high-purity quartz sand, while general industries
such as construction and casting can use silica sand.
If your application scenario requires high purity, it is recommended to
choose high-purity quartz sand. If it is for general industrial purposes such as
construction and concrete, silica sand is sufficient.