What Is Silica Sand & How Is It Different From Regular Sand?
In this post we’re going to answer three common questions about silica sand:
- What is silica sand?
- How is silica sand different from regular sand?
- What is silica sand used for?

If you want to jump right into what silica sand is used for, here are nine of the most common uses for silica sand.
- Golf courses & sports fields
- Industrial abrasives
- Filtration media
- Glassmaking
- Paints & coatings
- Ceramics
- Construction materials
- Recreation Sand
- Oil gas fracturing
Let’s get started !
What Is Silica Sand?
Silica sand, also known as quartz sand, white sand, or industrial sand, is made up of two main elements: silica and oxygen. Specifically, silica sand is made up of silicon dioxide (SiO2).
The most common form of SiO2 is quartz – a chemically inert and relatively hard mineral. SiO2 grades at a 7 out of 10 on Mohs hardness scale, making it ideal for use as filtration media and abrasive blasting sands.
Although quartz is often white or colourless, it can come in a wide range of shades. The colour of each sand deposit depends largely on the variety of minerals and rock detritus that make up the resource.
In order to be considered a silica sand the material must contain at least 95% SiO2 and less than 0.6% iron oxide. If the sand does not meet this criteria, it will qualify as what’s often called ‘regular’ sand.
How Silica Sand Is Different From Regular Sand
Regular sand, also known as feldspathic sand, brown sand, or construction sand, will always contain some silica, but only in amounts less than 95%. For example, typical brown sand used for concrete applications can contain up to 80% SiO2, along with varying amounts of iron, carbonate, potassium, and other trace elements/minerals.
These ‘impurities’ make regular sand more chemically reactive and often darker in colour when compared to silica sand. The color for non-silica sands (regular sands) can be various shades white, pink, green, and black as well – depending on the geological makeup and geographic location of the sand deposit.
What Is Silica Sand Used For?
There are a number of different uses for silica sand in the industrial and commercial sectors, from golf courses to glassmaking. Silica sand is a commercial and consumer product that available in southern Jordan.
How silica sand is used depends on physical, chemical, and mechanical characteristics such as grain size, shape, colour, structure, and distribution, as well as refractoriness, strength and stability. These characteristics can differ depending on how the mineral is processed after it is mined.
Here are nine common uses for silica sand
1. Golf Courses & Sports Fields
Silica sand is used for bunkers and greens on golf courses, as well as for natural and synthetic sports fields. Those sand traps you find yourself stuck in way too often when you’re playing eighteen are usually full of silica sand. It’s also used to maintain greens and fairways because of its ability to support drainage and natural plant growth. For turf fields, silica sand is used as the main structural component of an uncontaminated filtration media.
2. Industrial Abrasives
Silica sand is commonly used as a mineral abrasive for industrial blasting. Though blasting with silica sand can create dangerous dust, exposure is easily avoided by following recommended PPE (personal protective equipment) guidelines and/or by coating the sand with solutions designed to control dust.
3. Water Filtration
One of the most common uses of silica sand is in water filtration, whether processing well water or filtering your tap water. Because of its uniform shape and size, silica sand is an effective filtration bed that consistently removes contaminants from water. Also, it does not degrade when exposed to acidic chemicals.
4. Glassmaking
Silica sand is a major ingredient in the production of glassmaking—in fact, silica is the primary component in standard glass products ranging from windows to beer bottles. The purity of the silica sand used plays a role in determining the color, strength and clarity of the final product.
5. Paints & Coatings
Silica sand is used in paints and coatings to improve the overall look and durability of the paint. Silica fillers improve paint’s tint reduction and dirt resistance, and because of silica sand’s oil-absorption properties it makes a durable coating that’s rich in pigment and resistant to wear and tear.
6. Ceramics & Refractories
Silica is an important component in the construction and glazing of all types of ceramics including tableware, floor tiles, wall tiles, and more. Silica serves as the structural backbone of ceramic products helping to regulate expansion and shrinkage, ensuring ceramics dry properly, and improving the overall durability of the ceramic items.
7. Construction Materials
Silica sand (often called industrial sand when used for this purpose) is the main structural component in a number of construction products. Flooring, mortars, cement, roofing shingles, asphalt, and other industrial materials all use silica to improve durability and structural integrity. As silica is resistant to weather, wear and corrosion, it is often used as a caulk or sealant.
8. Recreation Sand
Silica Sand in the production of all-weather horse racing tracks, and in the production of root zones and drainage media for high specification football and other sport pitches and golf courses. It is also used in landscaping different properties such as Beaches and Play Sands.
Recreation Sand is a niche product enhanced with technical engineering and professional know-how.
9. Oil and Gas Recovery
Silica Sand is known as Frac Sand in the oil industry. Silica’s hardness is important here. The chemical purity in Frac Sand is able to attack in a corrosive environment. Whole grains deposits of Frac sand are able to attack in the corrosive environment. Whole grains deposit of Frac Sand is able to maximize formation cuttings.
Silica sand has a range of uses in everyday life across multiple industries.
“MEREN” is a Jordanian company located in Aqaba , 65km away from Aqaba port with a concession area of 12 square km at Ras Al-Naqab (Al-Humimmah Village).
“MEREN” is a Leading company in extracting silica sand and is considered one of the world’s best-known source for high quality silica sand and quartz, with a minimal negative impact on the environment.
“MEREN Co” is leading the mining of Glassy white and red silica sand of various product specifications up to 99.6% purity and of different particle sizes.
The job is done with solid competence, experience and technical know-how of mining, as processing and development of silica sand in Jordan started since 2007.
Moreover, “MEREN” has a private multi-industry free zone area incorporated with the headquarter in Amman.

Ramming Mass

Silica Sand

Silica Sand Flour

Kaolin
