Fused silica and quartz glass are basically the same material. Methods of production for it are described as well as applications and properties.
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Quartz glass is an extremely versatile material used in a range of different applications. It has outstanding thermal properties, excellent optical transmission, with good electrical and corrosion performance.
There are two basic ways of making quartz / silica glass:
This synthetic material, normally referred to as synthetic fused silica, has better optical properties and is somewhat more expensive than the other type.
In the UK, terms such as quartz, silica, fused quartz and fused silica tend to be used interchangeably. In the USA, quartz refers to material melted from grains, silica refers to the synthetic material.
The advantages of fused silica or quartz glass include:
Applications Applications of fused silica/quartz glass include:
Table 1. Typical properties of fused silica/quartz glass.
Property Units Value General Chemical Formula n/a SiO2 Density g/cm3 2.23 Mechanical Design Tensile Strength MPa 48 Design Compressive strength MPa 1100 Young's Modulus GPa 72 Thermal Max. Use Temperature °C 950-1300 Thermal Conductivity W/m.K 1.4 Co-Efficient of Linear Expansion 10-6/°C 0.55 Electrical Volume Resistance Ù.cm 1016 Dielectric Constant 3.7 Dielectric Strength kV/mm 40
Figure 1. Transmission curve for 10mm thick fused silica/quartz glass (including surface reflection losses).
Properties of fused silica/quartz glass shown are typical values, they are not absolute material properties, and should be used for guidance only. It is recommended that materials and components are tested for their suitability for a specific application.
Source: Goodfellow Ceramic & Glass Division
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