What Is Quartz Powder?
Quartz powder is also referred to as silica microspheres. It is a hard, wear-resistant, and chemically stable silicate mineral, with SiO₂ as its primary mineral component. Quartz powder is milky white or colorless and translucent in appearance. It has a hardness of 7, a density of 2.65. It is insoluble in acids, slightly soluble in KOH solution, and has a melting point of 1650°C. Products with a particle size generally below 120 mesh are referred to as quartz sand, while those exceeding 120 mesh are called quartz powder. Depending on their particle size and morphology, quartz powders can be further classified into types such as nano-silica (silica fume) and spherical silica powder.
Overview of Industries Using Quartz Powder
Quartz powder is used across a wide range of industries. In the glass, machinery, engineered quartz slabs, ceramics, metallurgy, construction, and chemical industries, the mesh size of the product ranges from tens to hundreds of mesh, with varying purity requirements. When used as a filler in the plastics, coatings, and adhesives industries, the fineness requirement ranges from hundreds to thousands of mesh, and the purity requirement is relatively high. In the integrated circuit industry, the product has the highest mesh size and purity requirements.
Applications of Quartz Powder as a Filler
A filler, also known as a filling agent, is a type of material added to plastics, rubber, coatings, and other products to serve a filling function. It can improve material performance, enhance processing characteristics, and reduce costs. Quartz powder has a wide range of applications as a filler, with primary application areas including plastics, coatings, paints, epoxy flooring, rubber, and sealants.
1. Applications of Quartz Powder in Plastics
Basic Specifications:
Fineness: 400–2,500 mesh
When used as a filler in plastics, quartz powder primarily enhances the material’s wear resistance, dimensional stability, and thermal stability. It can be used in products such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, polyethylene and polypropylene films, and epoxy molding compounds.
Filling PVC floor tiles with silica micropowder enhances the product’s wear resistance; in PVC flooring, it improves surface smoothness and scratch resistance. In acid-resistant PVC sheets and pipes, it improves processability, reduces viscosity, and enhances flowability, facilitating extrusion and molding, and significantly improving the acid resistance of the resulting products.
Silica fume-filled polyethylene agricultural films improve the physical, chemical, and optical properties of the products, while silica fume-filled polypropylene improves their mechanical properties. For example, adding silica fume enhances infrared barrier properties, slows heat loss from plastic greenhouses, and improves their thermal insulation performance. As a filler in PE resin, ultrafine silica fume exhibits good flowability, uniform distribution, and excellent mechanical properties.
In epoxy molding compounds, using quartz powder as a filler reduces the coefficient of thermal expansion, water absorption, and molding shrinkage while lowering costs; it also improves heat resistance, mechanical strength, dielectric properties, and thermal conductivity.
2. Applications of Quartz Powder in Coatings
Basic Specifications: Fineness: 400–2500 mesh; Purity: >99.5%; Whiteness: 70–94
In the coatings industry, the characteristics of silica micropowder—including particle size, whiteness, hardness, suspendability, dispersibility, low oil absorption, and high resistivity—all contribute to improving the corrosion resistance, wear resistance, insulation properties, and high-temperature resistance of coatings. Due to its excellent stability, silica micropowder has consistently played a vital role as a filler in coatings. Particularly for exterior wall coatings, the SiO₂ raw material plays a pivotal role in weather resistance.
3. Application of Quartz Powder in Epoxy Floor Coatings
Basic Specifications: Fineness: 400–1,500 mesh; Purity >99%; Whiteness: 70–94
In epoxy floor coatings, the high hardness of silica microspheres enhances the coating’s abrasion resistance, impact resistance, and scrub resistance. Due to the stable chemical properties of silicon dioxide, it enhances the acid resistance, alkali resistance, and corrosion resistance of epoxy floor coatings. Compared to traditional silica powder, spherical silica powder used in epoxy floor coatings exhibits lower viscosity, better flow properties, good pileability, and ease of compaction. It bonds readily with epoxy resins, thereby reducing the amount of epoxy resin required.
4. Applications of Quartz Powder in Rubber
Basic Specifications: Fineness: 1250–5000 mesh; Purity: >99.5%; Whiteness: 70–94
Quartz powder makes rubber stiffer, reduces the density of the compound, and enhances thermal insulation properties. It is suitable for manufacturing insulating compounds, molded products, and foam products; when used in hard rubber, it increases the softening temperature.
In wear-resistant rubber products, the compound must exhibit excellent permeability and strong adhesion. Compounds filled with silica fully demonstrate unique properties such as low viscosity, good permeability, excellent dispersion, and strong adhesion. These characteristics facilitate the coating of the compound onto fabric and enhance the adhesive strength between the rubber sheet and the fabric, thereby improving the product’s mechanical properties, such as tensile strength and permanent deformation.
Silica serves as an excellent reinforcing agent for synthetic rubber, with reinforcing performance second only to carbon black. If properly surface-treated, it can even outperform carbon black. For example, adding a certain amount of silica to standard tires can extend their service life. In rubber shoes, white carbon black not only provides excellent reinforcing properties, abrasion resistance, slip resistance, and upper adhesion but also serves as an effective light-colored reinforcing material. Therefore, it plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality and design of rubber shoes.
5. Application of Quartz Powder in Sealants
Basic Specifications: Fineness: 1250 mesh; Purity >99.5%; Whiteness: 80–94
Quartz powder generally requires modification before use in sealants. The moisture content of the treated material is controlled below 0.1%. When used in sealants, it improves the adhesive strength, yield value, and shear force dilution index of the compound. It also serves as a thickener, reinforcing agent, and provides tear resistance and anti-aging properties.
Recommended Quartz Powder Processing Equipment by EPIC
EPIC Powder Machinery offers a complete range of equipment specifically designed for ultrafine quartz powder processing.
Línea de producción de molino de bolas y clasificador de aire
El Línea de producción de molino de bolas y clasificador de aire is EPIC’s flagship solution for large-scale quartz powder production. By combining a specially designed ball mill with high-efficiency air classifiers, this system can produce quartz powder with fineness ranging from 150 mesh to 2,500 mesh (approximately 5–75 μm), perfectly covering the requirements of plastics, coatings, and epoxy flooring applications.
Flexible particle size control: Single or multiple classifiers can be combined in parallel or series to simultaneously produce multiple particle size grades.
High classification precision: Multi-rotor classifier achieves classification capacity up to 90% at 2 μm, representing world-advanced level accuracy.
German-technology origins: Lining plates and grinding media manufactured to German standards for extended service life and improved wear resistance.
Automatic control: PLC-based system with touch-screen interface ensures stable production and low energy consumption.
Clean production: The entire system operates under negative pressure with dust emissions below 1 mg/m³, meeting European environmental standards.
Molino de chorro de lecho fluidizado vertical
For ultrafine quartz powder applications requiring the highest fineness, such as rubber fillers (1250–5000 mesh) and high-purity sealant applications. The Molino de chorro de lecho fluidizado vertical is the ideal choice. Using compressed air driven through Laval nozzles, materials are pulverized through repeated collision, friction, and shear without any grinding media contamination.
Ultrafine particle size: Produces powders with D97 ranging from 6 to 150 μm, meeting the most demanding filler specifications.
High-purity processing: Key components (inner lining, classifying wheel, nozzle) can be made of alumina, zirconia, or silicon carbide ceramics, ensuring no metal contact during milling.
Low-temperature milling: Non-medium pulverization under constant or low temperature preserves material properties.
Wide capacity range: Models from 1 kg/h to 12,000 kg/h to suit both lab-scale and industrial production needs.
Closed and environmentally friendly: Closed milling system with PLC program control for clean, efficient operation.
Clasificadores de aire
EPIC’s air classifiers can be used standalone or integrated into a production line. They provide precise frequency-conversion control for accurate particle size cut points, making them essential for producing the specific mesh ranges required by different filler applications (400 mesh for coatings, 1250 mesh for rubber and sealants, up to 5000 mesh for specialty rubber compounds).
Características:
Originated from German technology with optimized structural design.
Adjustable air volume and classification parameters for maximum flexibility.
NG rotor design improves classification accuracy while reducing energy consumption.
Molino de vibración
El Molino de vibración provides an alternative grinding mechanism for quartz processing, utilizing high-frequency vibration to achieve fine and uniform particle size distribution. It is particularly effective for medium-fineness applications and can be integrated with classification equipment for extended product range capabilities.
Need the Right Equipment for Your Quartz Powder?
EPIC provides personalized solutions tailored to your specific particle size, purity, and capacity requirements. From equipment selection to installation and training, we offer a full turnkey service.
Polvo ÉPICO
Founded in 2012 in Qingdao, China, EPIC Powder Machinery Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise specializing in ultrafine powder processing technology and equipment. With over 20 years of industry experience, EPIC has served customers across countries and regions worldwide.
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