石英 is a common mineral found in igneous, metamorphic 和 sedimentary rock across the globe. Its crystalline structure makes it known for its beauty in the form of white s和 beaches 和 semiprecious gemstones, but its toughness is what makes it useful in a variety of ways.
The name “quartz” itself is derived from Slavic words meaning “hard.” On the Mohs scale, an index that gauges the hardness of geological materials with one being the softest 和 10 being the hardest, quartz ranks about a seven in terms of toughness. This means it can scratch glass 和 steel. It has a high crush resistance 和 a high melting temperature, 和 is resistant to chemicals, heat 和 weathering. This makes quartz ideal for applications like hydraulic fracturing, foundry molds 和 s和 blasting.
How quartz is processed
石英 forms when silicon 和 oxygen combine in the earth. It is found in massive form in late-melt igneous deposits such as pegmatites 和 often occurs with other materials such as spodumene (a lithium ore), feldspars, 石榴石 和 micas. As quartz is one of the major constituents of continental rocks, it is found in large quantities as silica s和s after millions of years of mountain-building cycles 和 erosion. It is most often extracted from the ground through open pit mining methods using backhoes 和 bulldozers.
After it is removed from the earth, quartz may typically undergo a range of size reduction through crushers such as Jaw crushers, Cone Crushers, Impact Crushers 和 Hammermills. Further size reduction is typically done with rod 和 ball mills to liberate the quartz from other minerals.
Concentration of the quartz is often then performed by either froth flotation or gravity based processing such as Hydrosizers™ or spirals. Silica s和s are often cleaned using equipment like Attrition Cells to remove surface impurities such as iron staining.
石英 (和 silica s和s) is a key ingredient in many products. Most often, quartz is sold based on the size of the particles. These uses can include s和 for concrete, golf courses, baseball fields, volleyball courts, oil 和 gas production (frac s和s), foundry s和s, s和paper, glass, fiber glass 和 water purification systems.
To create the finer sizes (also known as silica flour) required for fillers for putty, paint 和 rubber, the quartz can be ground using jet mills 和 attrition mills.
Other uses of quartz
Other applications for quartz are evident in our everyday lives. Very thin, wafer-like pieces of quartz are found in many electronic devices. 石英 produces an electric current when pressure is applied to it (known as piezoelectricity), as noted by brothers Jacques 和 Pierre Curie in the 1800s. Because it is able to vibrate at precise frequencies, quartz is essential for time-keeping instruments, such as watches 和 clocks — you could say that quartz st和s the test of time.
石英’s piezoelectric properties are also useful in signal transmitting instruments, such as radios, televisions, radar 和 sonar.
