The Difference Between Quartz and Glass

As society continues to evolve rapidly, the types of glass have become increasingly diversified, meeting the needs of various occasions. By adjusting its material and performance, glass materials can undergo different changes, making them more stable and durable. Quartz glass is a special type of glass that has emerged with the development of the times. But do you know the differences between quartz and glass and what advantages they offer? Let me introduce them to you below:

Quartz is one of the widely distributed minerals on the Earth’s surface. There are various types of quartz. It is used as raw materials for everyday ceramics, such as vein quartz, quartz sand, quartzite, sandstone, silicon stone, chalcedony, diatomite, and others. It is of the same origin as ordinary sand and crystal.

Glass is classified into flat glass and deep-processed glass. Flat glass is mainly divided into drawn flat glass (which can be further categorized into open slot and slotless), pulled flat glass, and float glass. Float glass is becoming the mainstream method of glass manufacturing due to factors such as its uniform thickness, smooth and parallel upper and lower surfaces, high labor productivity, easy management, and more.

Quartz is a crystal, a mineral composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2). Pure quartz is colorless and transparent, but due to the existence of trace colorant ions, finely dispersed inclusions, or color centers, its transparency is reduced, showing various colors. It has a glass luster, and the fracture surface has a fatty luster. It has a hardness of 7, no cleavage, a shell-like fracture, a specific gravity of 2.65, and piezoelectricity.

Glass is a non-crystalline, inorganic, non-metallic material generally made from various inorganic minerals (such as quartz sand, borax, boron trioxide, barite, barium carbonate, limestone, feldspar, soda ash, etc.) and a small number of auxiliary materials.

In industrial trade, glass is formally referred to as cut glass crystal, while quartz is referred to as quartz crystal. Other names for glass include fine crystal, Swarovski crystal, cut crystal, or Austrian crystal.

The main components of ordinary glass are sodium silicate, silica dioxide, and calcium silicate, with the silica dioxide content generally between 70% and 75%. For instance, engraved glass crystals contain as much as 80% silica dioxide. Other components include sodium oxide, calcium oxide, and other alkali or alkali earth metals to lower the melting temperature and improve material properties. These components also limit certain aspects of ordinary glass, such as poor thermal stability and inferior optical properties compared to quartz glass.

Quartz, on the other hand, is melted from pure silica dioxide, which is over 99%. Both natural quartz crystal and synthetic quartz crystal contain at least 99% silica dioxide.

Quartz has a hardness that can reach Mohs 7, meaning even if you use a knife, shovel, or steel wire ball to scratch quartz, it will not be damaged. Glass, on the other hand, generally has a hardness of only Mohs 5.5 to 6.

Quartz glass exhibits outstanding light transmission across the entire spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared, with visible light transmittance exceeding 92% and ultraviolet spectrum transmittance exceeding 80%.

While ordinary glass also has good optical transparency, it may have limitations in certain spectral ranges compared to quartz glass.

Ordinary glass is generally colorless, while quartz usually has some color. Quartz contains trace colorant ions or finely dispersed inclusion bodies, which give it various colors and reduce its transparency. Examples of quartz colors include gold-yellow, smoky, rose, and purple. Quartz is formed by the combination of other crystals (such as citrine and amethyst).

Quartz glass has a softening point of approximately 1730°C and can be used long-term at 1100°C, with short-term temperatures reaching 1450°C. This makes it highly resistant to high temperatures and fire, making it a typical fireproof material. Generally, as long as the quartz content of quartz glass is over 94%, it can completely block open flames without burning when exposed to them, making it suitable for use as kitchen countertops, for example.

Even if quartz is heated red-hot and then immediately placed in water, it is not prone to cracking. In contrast, ordinary glass has a lower heat resistance and cannot withstand extreme temperatures like quartz glass. Once heated red-hot, ordinary glass will immediately crack.

Quartz glass has excellent corrosion resistance except to hydrofluoric acid, surpassing ceramics by 30 times and stainless steel by 150 times.

Ordinary glass is susceptible to chemical reactions with acidic substances, making it less suitable for applications requiring high chemical corrosion resistance.

Quartz glass has minimal thermal expansion, allowing it to withstand rapid temperature changes without fracturing.

Ordinary glass may fracture under rapid temperature changes due to its poorer thermal stability.

Quartz glass is more abrasion-resistant than ordinary glass.

Quartz glass is more expensive than ordinary glass because its production cost is much higher.

Quartz and glass have similar application areas, playing significant roles in decoration and industrial purposes. However, there are notable differences between the two, primarily in their electrical properties and application ranges.

Glass is a good electrical insulator, so it is commonly used to manufacture doors, windows, walls, and various home decor items. It is also widely used in the automotive, aerospace, and electronics sectors.

Glass has a wide range of applications but lacks the special properties of quartz glass, making it unsuitable for demanding applications.

In contrast, quartz, with its good conductivity, is commonly found in high-tech fields such as semiconductors, point sources of light, optical and chemical instruments, medical equipment, and others.

Due to its strong Si-O chemical bonds and compact structure, quartz exhibits excellent optical performance. Transparent quartz glass demonstrates outstanding light transmission across the entire spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths, making it widely used in optical instruments and high-tech fields.

In summary, quartz glass offers high-temperature resistance, excellent chemical and thermal stability, superior optical transparency, and outstanding electrical insulation properties, making it the preferred material for various industries, such as semiconductors and optics. Although ordinary glass is widely used in the construction sector, it lacks the special properties of quartz glass and cannot meet stringent application requirements.

For high-quality quartz tubes and customized solutions, please feel free to contact Global Quartz Tube. Our expertise in quartz glass products ensures reliable performance and durability and meets your specific requirements.