Silica Sand And Pebble

This chapter deals with those types of silica raw materials that have been segregated and refined by natural processes into nearly monomineralic deposits and hence, by virtue of their high degree of purity, have become the sources of commodities having special and somewhat restricted commercial uses. In some instances, these raw materials occur in nature as unconsolidated quartzose sand or gravel and can be exploited and used with very little preparation and expense. More often, they occur as sandstone, conglomerate, quartzite, quartz mica schist, or massive igneous quartz which must be crushed, washed, screened, and sometimes chemically treated before commodities of suitable compositional and textural characteristics can be successfully prepared. The occurrence and distribution of silica raw materials is summarized and an effort has been made to bring commodity definitions, critical properties, and specifications up to date. Presentation of mining and processing methods is considered beyond the scope of this article; they are, for the most part, conventional and well known. New production techniques are currently reported in the trade journals and are later adequately described in technical publications as promptly as competitive restrictions allow. Discussion on Basis of Use ABRASIVE USES Industrial silica used for abrasive purposes falls into three main categories: (a) blasting sand; (b) glass-grinding sand; and (c) stone-sawing and rubbing sand. Blasting sand is a sound closely-sized quartz sand which, when propelled at high velocity by air, water, or controlled centrifugal force, is effective for such uses as cleaning metal castings, removing paint and rust, or renovating stone veneer. It is commonly referred to as Sand Blast sand. Multicycle quartz sand is an efficient blasting agent by merit of its survival characteristics which are soundness, toughness, and hardness. Steel grit and shot have supplanted it to a large extent but owing to their higher cost and tendency toward deterioration in storage, are still not universally used. It is conceded that angularity promotes faster cutting but this is offset by a higher loss in fines. The peening action of a rounded grain is a desirable feature in achieving a satin finish for certain light metal castings but a subangular grain is unsurpassed for fast heavy cutting. Specifications are chiefly based on size frequency distribution but it is mandatory that the grain be free of adhering clay or irony coatings. Material that dusts upon handling will not be tolerated. There is no uniform trade designation for the many blasting sand grades. Most producers sell on the basis of numbered grades; that is, No. 1, No. 2 and so on, this generally connoting fine to coarser grades. Designation of grade by the two sieve sizes between which most of the material lies, is practiced in some areas. Thus, in a No. 1220 grade, 98 pct of the material passes a 12 mesh sieve and is retained on a 20 mesh sieve. Blasting sand specifications vary according to use. Coarse grades range from 4 mesh to 12 mesh, medium grades range from 12 mesh to 30 mesh, finer grades may range from 20 mesh to 100 mesh or finer. Specifications generally call for narrow limits of gradation, requiring precise sizing methods. The fact that most blasting sands are retained