Why is Silica Sand Used in the Glass Making Industry?
Silicon dioxide is necessary for glass manufacturing. Since silica sand has a high percentage of silicon dioxide, it’s one of the most important materials in glassmaking. Note that not all sand deposits will be of the required purity to be used in glassmaking, with less than 1% of the 50 billion tonnes of sand extracted annually meeting the required standards.
The degree of purity of the silica sand used is going to have a direct impact on qualities such as the durability, strength, and transparency of the glass that’s produced. For products like vehicle windshields, it’s of the utmost importance to only use the highest-quality silica sand. That’s because this glass will meet the optimal vision requirements that vehicle windshields have. Along the same lines, only building glass that’s made of silica sand that’s high quality meets the thermal or light transmittance specifications necessary while maintaining safety and durability.
How is Glass Manufactured Using Silica Sand?
The process of manufacturing glass with silica sand is a rather straightforward one that involves mixing the basic ingredients and then melting them. The primary ingredients are limestone, soda ash, and silica sand. Depending on the color or purpose of the glass produced, other ingredients may be added, such as pigment.
These ingredients are melted together in a furnace at temperatures that can reach 1600°C until they are all molten. This molten glass is then stirred to make its thickness consistent and remove any air bubbles trapped within it. At this point, chemicals like sodium sulfate may be added to help with the process.
The next step, which is molding the molten glass, also depends on the required product. If the outcome is a glass item with a simple shape like a lens, the molten glass is simply placed into the necessary mold and allowed to cool. If the requirement is glass panes, the molten glass will be placed into a bath of molten tin and shaped with pressurized nitrogen. Typically, this includes drawing it through rolling machines to flatten it evenly.
The glass product is then annealed, which involves placing it in an oven or kiln at temperatures between 750°F and 1,000°F to remove stress points that may have formed and strengthen it. After this, the glass is ready to be put into use in its final application.
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