Properties of High Purity Silica

High purity silica, also known as fused silica, possesses some unique properties that make it highly valued in industrial applications. Some of the key properties of fused silica include:

- Chemical Inertness: Fused silica is highly chemically inert and unaffected by acids, alkalis and solvents making it ideal for applications requiring corrosion resistance.

- Thermal Stability: It has extremely low coefficients of thermal expansion and can withstand temperatures as high as 1500°C without undergoing structural changes. This makes it suitable for high temperature applications.

- Optical Properties: Fused silica transmits visible light extremely well with low absorption in the visible and infrared regions. It also has low birefringence and homogeneity suitable for optical applications.

- Electrical Properties: Fused silica is electrically insulating with a resistivity as high as 1017 ohm-cm. This property finds applications where electrical insulation is required.

The above properties have allowed high purity silica to gain wide acceptance in applications requiring high performance materials.

Major Application Areas

Due to its highly desirable properties, high purity silica finds application across many industries some of which are discussed below:

Semiconductors
The semiconductor industry dominates the consumption of high purity silica worldwide. Fused silica is used to make crucibles, tubes and plates used for growing silicon and manufacturing semiconductors due to its chemical inertness and ability to withstand high temperatures.

Fiber Optics
The optical properties of fused High Purity Silica  make it the material of choice for producing optical fibers. Silica glass transmits light with low attenuation and losses. This enables fused silica optical fibers to transmit data over long distances paving the way for communication networks.

Solar Panels
Silicon solar cells require high purity silicon as the active material. Fused silica crucibles and tubes are used to purify and grow high purity silicon for solar cells. Its resistance to heat and chemicals make it well-suited for this application.

Labware and Equipment
The chemical inertness and thermal stability of fused silica have increased its usage in manufacturing lab equipment such as plates, rods, tubes, bottles etc. It is also used to manufacture hardware for semiconductors and electronics.

Aerospace
Fused silica finds application in the aerospace industry due to its lightweight, strength and resistance to thermal shock. It is used in manufacturing rocket components, windows, radomes and structural parts of aircraft and space vehicles.

Other applications include its usage in metallurgy, petrochemicals and pharmaceuticals where high purity reagents and reaction vessels made of fused silica are required.

Market Trends and Growth

The global market for high purity silica was valued at USD XX billion in 2020. Asia Pacific currently dominates the market attributed to the growth of the semiconductor industry in the region. China alone accounts for over 60% of the global semiconductor output and is the key driver of growth in the fused silica market.

Other major consumers include the USA and Western European countries. Growth of end use industries such as electronics, fiber optics, solar and aerospace are anticipated to fuel demand. The market is projected to expand at a CAGR of 5-6% during 2021-2026.

New applications are also emerging in areas like Li-ion batteries, solid-state drives, flat panel displays, LEDs where high purity silica can enable better performance and efficiencies. This will further stimulate the market in future. On the supply side, innovations are being made to develop new purification techniques to produce higher purity grades of fused silica.

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