Fused Silica Glass Uses

It s highly cross linked three dimensional structure gives rise to it s high use temperature and low thermal expansion coefficient.

Fused silica glass uses.

Principle uses of fused silica. Transmission curve for 10mm thick fused silica quartz glass including surface reflection losses. Compared to other types of glass fused silica is efficient at transmitting waves on the ultraviolet spectrum so it is often used to make lenses and optics for the ultraviolet spectrum. Fused silica is an entirely synthetic material and is technically the purest glass.

Fused silica glass is a very low thermal expansion material and so is extremely thermal shock resistant. Fused silica is a noncrystalline glass form of silicon dioxide quartz sand. Fused quartz or fused silica is glass consisting of silica in amorphous non crystalline form it differs from traditional glasses in containing no other ingredients which are typically added to glass to lower the melt temperature. Typical of glasses it lacks long range order in its atomic structure.

Because of the way fused silica is made it has superior ultraviolet performance to natural quartz and is ideal for applications such as uv transmitting optics. Quartz is the most stable crystal modification at normal temperature and pressure conditions. Fused silica sio 2 glass properties. Borosilicate glasses are known for having very low coefficients of thermal expansion 3 10 6 k 1 at 20 c making them more resistant to thermal shock than any other common glass.

Glass and fused silica are appealing materials for constructing microelectromechanical systems mems lab on a chip and microfluidic platforms due to their chemical inertness biocompatibility optical transparency mechanical rigidity high melting point electrical insulation gas impermeability and ability to bond to silicon glass and polydimethylsiloxane pdms 1 3. Properties of fused silica quartz glass shown are typical values they are not absolute material properties and should be used for guidance only. Although the terms fused quartz and fused silica are used interchangeably the optical and. Fused silica therefore has high working and melting temperatures.

It will devitrify above about 1100 c in the presence of contaminants such as sodium phosphorus and vanadium with the. It has the highest temperature characteristics of any glass and it often begins as pure silicon gas. Borosilicate glass is a type of glass with silica and boron trioxide as the main glass forming constituents. Silicon dioxide glass quartz fused silica silicon dioxide sio 2 is the most simple chemical composition of glass.

Such glass is subjected to less thermal stress and can withstand temperature differentials. Quartz is one of the most common minerals in the earths crust.