Sand is the most commonly used material in the construction industry, not a single process of building construction can do without it. In practice, several types of sand are used: ravine, quartz and river. Each of them has its own characteristics of production and exploitation.

Quartz sand application, which is justified in many areas of human life, has a number of distinctive characteristics that distinguish it from other materials.

According to its structure, this material is crushed quartz, which is formed in the natural environment, or it is obtained after special processing. The structure of the sand is homogeneous and loose. There is a division into types depending on the size of the fractions, the value of which varies between 0.05 - 3 mm. The presence of additives in the form of silica is permissible in the material.

Types of quartz sand

• rounded . The shape resembles round granules. Mining takes place in quarries or rivers. An obligatory procedure is calcination under the influence of high temperatures. The scope of sand is the formation of paths and platforms of various types.
• crushed. It is pure silicon dioxide, which has a non-uniform shape with sharp edges. Due to its absorbent properties, sand is used to clean swimming pools, artificial ponds and other bodies of water. After mining, this material is cleaned of all kinds of impurities and debris.

Note. The excellent absorbency of quartz sand allows the material to bond strongly in a variety of formulations and mixtures.

Application area

Sand is used in many areas: industrial, construction, medical, food. Also, he found his application in ordinary living conditions.

Quartz sand application in construction. The material is a frequent component in mixtures for the preparation of various building materials. For example, quartz sand is actively used when mixing the composition and forming blocks from it. The result is a durable and reliable material for the construction of houses, which has an excellent color and a pleasant appearance. In addition, very often quartz sand is added to facing mixtures. To make the brick stronger and more durable, silicon dioxide is added to the mixture during its production.

Quartz sand is part of the asphalt mix as well as in the production of concrete. The entire modern range of cement incorporates quartz sand. This component provides a high degree of adhesion to the surface. In addition, they are produced with quartz sand.

Given the fact that quartz sand has different shades, the plastered surface may have differences in texture and color. Due to the high strength of the material, the coating on the house will serve you faithfully for quite a long time. The addition of quartz sand to the composition of plaster mixtures provides a smooth finish.

Note.

In the manufacture of porcelain services, faience products, finely ground quartz sand is also added to the material.

We have already mentioned that quartz is used even in medicine, including pharmaceuticals.. Basically, the material is used in the manufacture of lenses. Due to its excellent abrasiveness, lenses made of quartz sand get perfect smoothness. The transparency of glasses is not lost when treated with quartz, since white quartz sand is used in the work. In addition, quartz is the main component of sandblasting used to process various materials.

Quartz sand is known for its remarkable absorption properties, so it has been successfully used to purify water from various particles and unhealthy impurities. It is quartz sand that is used to create high-cost filters. The main thing is to replace the material in a timely manner, because over time it loses its cleansing properties.

Quartz sand is also actively used for domestic purposes., including for cleaning systems . Basically, fine-grained quartz sand is used, which has an excellent ability to purify water from colloids and mechanical impurities. The very process of using quartz sand to filter water is to run water through the filter, resulting in a pure substance.

Note.

To prevent rapid contamination of the quartz sand in the filter, the water backflow method can be used once a week.

How often should the quartz sand in the filter be changed?

It depends on the type of reservoir and the frequency of its use. If the pool is used regularly, then the replacement is made every two years. In the case of seasonal use of the reservoir, it is enough to look into the filter installation once every five years. Ponds of small size in the summer cottage require the replacement of the filter element every two months.

In everyday life, quartz sand is used for aquariums. In addition to purifying water, sand also performs a decorative function. The material is often dyed in different colors, so you can choose any shade you like. A combination of black and white quartz would be an excellent choice, but bright colors will only distract the fish. Before pouring sand into the aquarium, it must be carefully processed. To do this, the sand is washed under running water, and then poured over with boiling water. You need to pour a layer with a slight angle of inclination towards the front wall.

Features of quartz sand

The material has the main distinguishing feature, which is that quartz sand is a monomineral, that is, it consists only of quartz. Because of this, it is so valued in the industrial field. A small content of additional elements makes it possible to make transparent glass from it. In addition, the so-called intergranular porosity allows you to absorb more than other types of sand can afford. It is also worth noting the excellent wear resistance and strength of grains of sand.

Chemical nature of quartz sand

Quartz crystals endow the material that is made from it with excellent operating properties. This is both strength and resistance to acids and alkalis. A high level of strength, a refractory chemical composition of the material, fire resistance - this is what quartz sand is so valued for.

Quartz sand fraction

• Dust - less than 0.1 mm;
• Fine fraction - 0.1 - 0.8 mm;
• Medium fraction - 0.8 - 1.6 mm;
• Coarse fraction - 1.6 - 6.0 mm.

The first two types of quartz sand are added to the compositions of various building materials: putty, plaster, grout, abrasives, paint. Medium-fraction sand is used for water purification, sandblasting, and is also added to mixtures for construction, finishing and decorative plasters, self-leveling floors. Coarse quartz sand is used in the production of paving slabs, concrete blocks, as well as in the creation of landscape design.

Quartz sand for sandblasting

Sandblasting is one of the effective methods of processing various surfaces. The process itself is as follows:

Directions of cleaning works:

• Removal of rust and dirt;
• Removal of fatty deposits;
• Matting glass;
• Cleaning of stone and concrete masonry;
• Roughness creation for further processing.

Self-leveling floors and quartz sand

This polymeric floor covering belongs to decorative materials. Distinctive features of these floors are:

• Durability;
• Strength;
• Perfect smoothness without seams;
• hygiene;
• Wear resistance;
• Ease of operation and cleaning.

Quartz sand is used as part of self-leveling floors in order to reduce the cost of pouring work. Often, such surfaces are created under conditions of increased load on the surface of. To give attractiveness, varnishes or mastic are used.

Quartz sand in glass production

Quality requirements for quartz sand for glass making:

• Silica weight ≥ 95%;
• Clay ≤ 1%;
• iron oxide ≤ 1%.

For quality brands, the amount of silicon oxide can be at the level of 99.8%. The moisture content in dry sand is not more than 0.5%. The more additional impurities in the sand, the lower the transparency of the finished product for glass made from it for windows, laboratories, and the electrical field. Given the scope of glass products, the issue of the degree of purification of raw materials must be given due attention.

Grades of quartz sand depending on the chemical composition:

Quartz sand and coatings for sports facilities

During the installation of sports fields and the laying of artificial grass surfaces, quartz sand is often used along with rubber-based granulate, or sand alone. Football fields fall asleep with the first composition, as it reduces the risk of injury to athletes. In addition, such coatings are created on tennis courts, children's playgrounds and school grounds. At multifunctional sites, quartz sand is poured between the grass.

Quartz sand, due to its drainage abilities, will absorb moisture during rain, and puddles will not form on the football field, for example.

Quartz sand and paving

Quartz sand, as you know, is multi-colored, which is why it is best suited for marking areas of special danger or areas of increased attention. Colored quartz sand is used to mark road pedestrians, places for public transport stops, entrances to children's educational institutions and industrial facilities. The increased roughness increases the adhesion of the wheels and the road surface, thereby reducing the yaw of skidding.

What is the difference between river sand and quartz sand? Quarry or river material is inferior to quartz in terms of monomineralism, intergranular porosity and uniformity. The sorption capacity of white sand makes it possible to purify water from oxidized manganese and iron with its help. Also among its features stands out high resistance to chemical, mechanical, water and atmospheric influences. That is why it is so actively used for the production of finishing materials and glass, in landscape design, plastering, the operation of water cleaning filters, for sandblasting, grinding and sawing, backfilling.

By itself, this type of sand is divided into two subtypes: artificial and natural origin. The first type is obtained by crushing and screening milky-white quartz into fractions, and the second is mined from quarries, soil, rivers, ravines, sea or mountains. In quarries, the origin of the material is determined by the destruction of quartz by water, wind and other natural factors. Among deposits for the extraction of quartz sand in Russia, Chulkovskoe (Moscow region), Kozlovskoe (Bryansk region), Elshanskoe (Volgograd region) and Berezichskoe (Kaluga region) are especially popular.

Sand is mined both open and closed:
- the first requires the presence of such construction equipment as dump trucks, excavators, scrapers, bulldozers and cable cars: first, the top layers of soil are removed, and then trenches are laid;
- the second one is used in underwater deposits using dredgers and floating installations with pumps: first, the rock is loosened and sucked in, separated from the water and released back into the reservoir, and then the sand dries up and is poured into dump trucks for delivery to the processing site.

Quartz sand after the mining process contains a fairly large amount of foreign inclusions, so it is necessary to carry out additional cleaning and processing. After washing, it is important to dry the material to the desired moisture level. The natural type is called rounded, as it is distinguished by the rounded shape of the grains of sand. Its usually buy for the construction of sports and playgrounds. The artificial one first passes through a stone crushing machine to release particles of different sizes with an uneven shape. At the final stage production of quartz sand in Russia it is sieved and divided into fractions. It is this species that is characterized by increased purity of the composition, resistance to chemical attack and uniformity of the mineral composition. Its price per kg will be significantly higher than the cost of natural. it is possible in bags, more often 25, 50 kilograms or a ton.

Fractional composition divides sand grains into five main sizes (fractions):
- up to 0.14 millimeters;
- up to 0.18 millimeters;
- up to 0.23 millimeters;
- up to 0.28 millimeters;
- more than 0.28 millimeters.

According to the clay component, five groups are distinguished with established percentages, from 0.2 to 2.0%. Sand is also grouped according to the content of silicon dioxide, from 99 to 93%. Additionally, the gas permeability, the content of metal oxides and the surface area of ​​the particles are normalized in the composition of the sand.

quality material supplied with a certificate of conformity and regulated by GOST 2138-91 and regulatory documents GOST 8736-93, GOST 22551-77, GOST R 51641-2000.

Main technical characteristics of sand displayed as parameters:
- Fractions of sand granules, on average, can be from 0.1 to 3 mm.
- Normal humidity of raw material does not exceed 6.0%, wet - 4.0%, and after drying should not be more than 0.5%.
- True density is determined in the range of 2600 - 2700 kg/m3, and bulk density between 1300 and 1500 kg/m3.
- The maximum melting point is 1050°C.
- Thermal conductivity varies up to a limit of 0.30 W/(m∙°C).

Quartz sand - a material with unique properties, which is used in a wide variety of industries and areas. Before considering what quartz sand is for, let's find out what properties it has.

The main characteristics of quartz include:

• homogeneous composition, no impurities;
• grain strength, resistance to mechanical stress;
• high porosity;
• high cleaning power;
• chemical inertness;
• susceptibility to staining.

Origin of inorganic material classified into the following types:

• - the highest quality, cleanest and most expensive;
• sea ​​sand– may contain clay particles and silt impurities;
• mountain sand– has a rough surface;
• gully sand- with an irregular grain shape;
• soil sand- has an uneven shape with sharp corners and rough granules.

Depending on the processing, dry, molding, fractionated, rounded, calcined look are distinguished.

The strength of the granules, resistance to various negative factors, the ability to purify liquids from radionuclides, microorganisms, heavy metals and solid impurities led to the widespread use of quartz in hydrofilters, as well as during various construction and finishing works.

The use of material in construction

Consider the properties and application in the construction industry. It has valuable characteristics for various construction and repair work, including a homogeneous composition, the absence of clay impurities, a density of 1.5 tons / cu. meter.

The material is used in the production of blocks which have high strength and attractive appearance. They are used for cladding the facades of buildings, as well as for creating landscape design objects. Refractory and durable bricks for furnaces are also produced using this filler.

The composition of the highest quality cement also includes quartz, which ensures high adhesion of the solution to the surface. It is used in the construction of highways designed for high loads.

Also the material is part of the plaster mixtures designed for finishing walls. Due to the homogeneity of the mass, a smooth and durable coating is obtained.

Where else is quartz sand used?

Chemical and physical parameters of the material allow it to be widely used in the following areas:

• Water filtration. The use of aqua filters with quartz filler is the most effective way to purify water in hydraulic structures. Such a filler is capable of retaining the usual solid contaminants, chlorine, aluminum, viruses and bacteria, nitrates.
• Sandblasting surfaces. High pressure abrasive is directed to the area to be cleaned, removing all kinds of contaminants. This method eliminates signs of corrosion, grease stains, cleans concrete and stone, makes the surface rough, matt glass and mirror, creates interesting patterns.
• self-leveling floor. The technology allows you to create a durable, wear-resistant, even base. in this case, it plays the role of a filler and provides a reduction in the cost of production of a polymer coating.
• Metallurgical industry. Molding sand is the raw material for making molds and cores. It differs from other types of quartz in its increased strength and uniformity, which is 80%.
• glass production. The enterprises of this sphere are the main consumers of sand. It is the main raw material for the production of fiberglass, glass for medical, laboratory and other purposes.

Where is quartz sand used?

What is quartz sand made of?

What is the difference between quartz sand and ordinary sand?

Where is quartz sand mined?