Silica is found almost everywhere in nature, and represents almost 1/3 the mass of the earth’s crust. Vitreous Silica is the generic term used to describe all types of silica glass, and manufacturers refer to the material as either Fused Quartz or Fused Silica. Fused Quartz is manufactured by melting naturally occuring crystalline silica, such as sand or rock crystal. The production method is either electrically fused or flame fused. Afterward, items will appear transparent, translucent, or opaque; making it possible to create a wide range of products. Fused silica, commonly referred to as synthetic fused quartz, is produced using high purity silica sand that is manufactured from SiCL4. The finished product’s appearance will be transparent. Vitreous Silica, in all its forms, offers a variety of properties such as:

• Permeability
• Extreme Hardness
• Very Low Coefficient of Thermal Expansion
• Resistance to High Temperature
• High Chemical Purity
• High Corrosion Resistance
• Extensive Optical Transmission from Ultra-Violet to Infra-Red
• Excellent Electrical Insulation Qualities
• Remarkable Stability Under Atomic Bombardment