What is quartz?

Quartz (SiO₂) material is very similar to glass at first glance, but the special thing is that the general glass is made up of many components (such as quartz sand, borax, boric acid, barite, barium carbonate, limestone, feldspar, soda ash, etc.), while the quartz contains only SiO₂ components, and the microstructure of its silicon dioxide tetrahedral structural units composed of a simple network.

Because quartz contains a very small amount of metal impurities and has a very high purity, quartz has characteristics and advantages that other glasses cannot present, and is known as the "crown" of glass materials. For example, the degree of heat resistance, quartz even in the fire red immediately after the water will not explode, while the ordinary glass, not to mention the red after the water does not explode, just a burn in pieces. More specific advantages are as follows:

1, high temperature resistance. Quartz glass softening point temperature of about 1730 ℃, can be used for a long time at 1150 ℃, the highest temperature for a short time up to 1450 ℃.

2, corrosion resistance. In addition to hydrofluoric acid, high-purity quartz has almost no chemical reaction with other acids, and at high temperatures, it is resistant to sulfuric acid, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, aqua regia, neutral salts, carbon and sulfur and other erosion. Its acid resistance is 30 times that of ceramics, 150 times that of stainless steel, especially the chemical stability at high temperatures, is incomparable to any other engineering materials.

3, good thermal stability. The coefficient of thermal expansion of high purity quartz is extremely small, can withstand intense temperature changes, the high purity quartz heated to about 1100 ℃, into the room temperature water will not blow up.

4, good light transmission performance. High-purity quartz in the ultraviolet to infrared light throughout the spectral band have good light transmission properties, visible light transmission rate of more than 93%, especially in the ultraviolet spectral region, ~ large transmittance of up to 80% or more.

5, good electrical insulation properties. The resistance value of high purity quartz is equivalent to 10,000 times that of ordinary quartz glass, which is an excellent electrical insulating material, even at high temperatures also has good electrical properties.

These excellent physical and chemical properties, high purity quartz materials are widely used in modern electronic technology, semiconductors, communications, electric light source, solar energy, national defence, high-precision measuring instruments, laboratory physical and chemical instruments, nuclear energy, nano-industry and so on.