Fused quartz refers to a type of transparent, high-purity, amorphous, and non-crystalline glass made from pure silica (SiO2) melted at extreme temperatures. It is typically created by heating crystalline quartz or silica to its melting point of around 1,715 degrees Celsius (3,119 degrees Fahrenheit) and then rapidly cooling it, preventing the formation of a crystalline structure.
The resulting fused quartz has exceptional optical and thermal properties, making it highly valued in various scientific, industrial, and commercial applications. Its purity ensures minimal interference with light transmission, making it ideal for manufacturing optical fibers, lenses, prisms, and windows used in high-precision optics, telecommunications, and spectroscopy.
Fused quartz also exhibits remarkable resistance to high temperatures and thermal shock while retaining its structural integrity. Consequently, it is utilized in the manufacturing of laboratory equipment, such as crucibles, tubes, and evaporating dishes, that require withstanding extreme heat, as well as in the production of semiconductor components and photovoltaic cells.
Furthermore, fused quartz possesses excellent electrical insulation properties, low coefficient of thermal expansion, and high resistance to chemical corrosion, rendering it suitable for use in manufacturing highly reliable electric heating elements, thermocouples, and other industrial applications that require resistance to aggressive chemicals, such as corrosive acids.
Due to its unique combination of properties, fused quartz has become an indispensable material in numerous fields, from optics and electronics to aerospace, telecommunications, and research laboratories.
