![]() Here, the word “fused” refers to a processing step: fused silica is nominally pure silica that has been melted and cooled to form a glassy, amorphous solid. This would perhaps be better referred to as crystalline silica, but is often referred to simply as “quartz.” Fused Silica and Fused Quartz Perhaps confusingly, “synthetic quartz” can be manufactured for industrial quartz applications. Industrial applications of quartz (that is, the crystalline mineral) are limited, but include quartz crystal oscillators in electronic systems – most familiarly in wristwatches. Quartz is a crystalline solid so, while it can resemble glass both in terms of its appearance and its chemical makeup, it has very distinct properties from glass. QuartzĪs mentioned previously, quartz is the main form in which silica occurs in nature. Now that we’ve reviewed some important fundamentals, we can define the differences between quartz, fused silica, and other silica-based materials. Silica-based materials – like quartz – can be characterized both in terms of their chemical composition and whether they are crystalline or amorphous. Outside the world of silica or other oxide-based materials, disordered “glassy” metals are often used for their unusual mechanical characteristics compared to conventional metals. One of the most striking examples is the glass transition effect exhibited by amorphous solids. Whether atoms are arranged in an orderly manner or oriented randomly can profoundly influence a material’s characteristics. Most materials that we think of as “glass” are amorphous solids: in fact, any material with an amorphous atomic structure can be described as “glassy”. The seemingly random arrangement of molecules in an amorphous solid resembles that of a liquid, except that they are fixed in place and don’t move around. However, in an amorphous solid, the atoms have no long-range order. Quartz is an example of a crystalline silica-based material: silicon and oxygen atoms are arranged in a well-defined ordered structure. In a crystalline solid, the constituent atoms are arranged in regular, repeating patterns known as crystal lattices. The distinction comes down to how atoms are arranged inside the solids. To fully understand the differences between different silica-based materials, we first need to review the fundamental differences between crystalline solids and amorphous solids. ![]() On the other hand, quartz is a naturally occurring crystalline mineral, which consists primarily of silica but contains some impurities. So, silica is a specific chemical compound, silicon dioxide, with the chemical formula SiO 2. While quartz primarily consists of silica, it also contains naturally occurring impurities in various proportions depending on its geological origin. The main form in which silica is found in nature is the mineral quartz: a hard, transparent crystalline material that makes up an appreciable fraction of the Earth’s crust. Silica has the chemical formula SiO 2 and is the primary constituent of most types of glass. The first important thing to know about quartz and fused silica is that they both primarily consist of the same ingredient: silica, also known as silicon dioxide. In this article, we take a close look at the unique properties of quartz and fused silica (and a few related materials), and clear up the confusion surrounding these terms. Due to its fineness and thinness, fumed silica can easily become airborne, making it an inhalation risk, capable of causing irritation.Quartz, fused quartz, quartz glass, silica, fused silica… the list of terms used to describe various silica-based materials is long, confusing, and often misunderstood. Health issues įumed silica is not listed as a carcinogen by OSHA, IARC, or NTP. Other uses include filler in silicone elastomer and viscosity adjustment in paints, coatings, printing inks, adhesives and unsaturated polyester resins. It is used as a light abrasive, in products like toothpaste. It is used in cosmetics for its light-diffusing properties. Like silica gel, it serves as a desiccant. Applications įumed silica serves as a universal thickening agent and an anticaking agent (free-flow agent) in powders. Major global producers are Evonik (who sells it under the name Aerosil), Cabot Corporation (Cab-O-Sil), Wacker Chemie (HDK), Dow Corning, Heraeus (Zandosil), Tokuyama Corporation (Reolosil), OCI (Konasil), Orisil (Orisil) and Xunyuchem(XYSIL). Fumed silica is made from flame pyrolysis of silicon tetrachloride or from quartz sand vaporized in a 3000 ☌ electric arc.
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