Silica Minerals represent the group of minerals being composed of silicon and oxygen forming the chemical formula SiO2. Silica can occur in macrocrystalline, crytocrystaline and amorphous form.
Industry predominantly uses the crystalline form of silica, i.e. quartz. Silica is used as granular products containing the particle size range >63 µm. Fine grained silica is used as functional fillers in various applications.
Silicadioxide appears in almost 10 different crystal forms, with quartz, the most abundant representative, crystallizing in the trigonal crystal system.
Quartz is mined from hard rock deposits with the most important representatives being vein deposits or pegmatitic deposits and alluvial deposits. The mineralisation respectively the deposit type, the accessory minerals, impurities occurring together with the quartz in the deposit as well as the intergrowth of the minerals in the ore matrix define the process route.
It is chemically inert, chemically resistant to almost all acids with the exception of hydroflouric acid and soluble in alkaline fluxes.
Silica sand is used in paints & plastics, abrasives, ceramics, glass, filtration, surface treatment in sports & leisure facilities, construction, in sealants & adhesives, chemicals production, in foundries, in oil production, metallurgical applications and agriculture.
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