QUARTZ
Silica is a very common and widespread mineral on Earth and it can be found in various forms. 87% of the Earth’s crust is made of minerals and rocks containing Silica. Amongst all silica minerals, quartz stands out as it consists purely of silica and oxygen (SiO2) and has a crystalline structure.
Quartz sand derives of silica minerals featuring:
- High SiO2 content (>90%)
- Crystalline structure
Quartz is one of the hardest minerals on earth, with a degree of hardness 7 Mohs, just 2 degrees lower than diamond (9 Mohs) and 1 degree lower than corundum (8 Mohs).
QUARTZ PRODUCTS
Based on its chemical content & form, Quartz can be of two types:
- QUARTZ: Mineral Quartz – extraction product with high chemical purity, transparent-white appearance
- SILICA: Quartz / Silica products, produced by natural depositions (over ground, underground, underwater). They have a darker appearance as they contain impurities of other elements (e.g. Fe2O3).
THE 2 UNIQUE FEATURES OF QUARTZ PRODUCTS
Quartz products are characterised by two unique features making them unbeatable in their commercial supply and use:
- ABUNDANCY à LOW COST of finding and extracting
- HARDNESS à HIGH DURABILITY & RESISTANCE to friction, abrasion, chemical corrosion
THE USE OF QUARTZ – PAST – CURRENT – FUTURE
For decades, Quartz products have been extremely popular for industrial uses and high durability applications (water filtration, highly resistant industrial flooring, fire resistant surfaces etc.) which require:
- excellent hardness
- resistance to corrosion
- chemical inertia
- low absorptivity
- low cost
Thousands of objects, materials and equipment contain Quartz as their main component, such as:
- Glass
- Sanitary products (glazing)
- Silicones & construction materials
- Semiconductor chips
- Optical fibres
- Photovoltaic systems
- Computers
The economic importance of Silica – Quartz developed and evolved based on two critical factors:
- the need-demand for finding (naturally or artificially) a cheap material with increased potential of covering the requirements of the huge technological evolution in production and materials and
- the abundancy of Quartz in nature.
The worldwide market of quartz products is continuously increasing, with an annual growth rate of ~ 8-10%.
QUARTZ PRODUCTS BY STROUMBOULIS
Quartz is the Flag Product Category of our Company, interwoven with our business history, integrated into our Strategy and Business Plan, currently and in the long-term.
Our Company, in collaboration with the most established international manufacturers, offers a unique variety of quartz products of all types, suitable for all types of applications.
The common feature of all of our Quartz and Silica Products is the high level of chemical purity (SiO2 96,5% – 99,8%) and the excellent hardness (7 Mohs).
Quartz sand & gravel for filtration
Imported from the Dutch manufacturer brand Filcom b.v. active in the production and treatment of graded Quartz sand since 1930. The fully automated production process is in line with the ISO 9001:2008 standard, whereas the capacity of the two factories in Papandrecht and Wessem is over 150.000 tn per year.
Quartz sand & gravel for construction materials and mortars
Imported from the Egyptian manufacturer brand Rawasy. Featuring high levels of chemical purity (SiO2 98,0% – 99,8%) and available dry and graded in standardised granular sizes.
The products have CE marking and comply with the EN 13139 standards for aggregate materials for construction mortars.
Quartz sand & gravel for architectural applications
The coloured quartz sand GRANUCOL is imported from the German manufacturer brand Dorfner GmbH. They are active in the production and treatment of quartz sand since 1895 and have extensive know how, whereas their state-of-the-art dying facility guarantees excellent quality and colour consistency, at every batch.
Silica Flour
Silica flour is produced by iron free grinding and accurate sieving by means of air separators. Selected high purity quartz sand is used as raw material. Thanks to its exceptional qualities such as narrow and controlled particle size distribution, chemical inertness, low absorptivity, optical properties and excellent hardness, it is the ideal filler for heavy duty paint and coatings, as well as highly demanding applications.
Cristobalite
Selected high purity quartz sand undergoes thermal treatment at 1500oC and catalyzed by the addition of a sodium based flux additive. With this process, Cristobalite is produced. The exceptionally high whiteness, chemical purity, thermal conductivity acid resistance and low density, make cristobalite the ideal filler for various specialised products (paints, coatings, ceramic products, decorative surfaces, silicon products, jewellery, cosmetics etc.).
Certified STROUMBOULIS Suppliers
FILCOM. The Dutch manufacturer brand Filcom b.v. has been active in the production and treatment of graded Quartz sand since 1930. The fully automated production process is in line with the ISO 9001:2008 Standard, whereas the capacity of the two factories in Papandrecht and Wessem is over 150.000 tn per year.
The Quartz sand treatment includes washing, drying using natural gas and special granular classification according to the EN 12904 Standard.
RAWASY. The Rawasy manufacturer brand was founded in Egypt in 2006, in collaboration with STROUMBOULIS. Based in Cairo, it processes and trades quartz products featuring high levels of chemical purity (SiO2 98,0% – 99,8%) which are available in dry and graded form in standardised granules sizes.
The products have CE marking and comply with the EN 13139 standards for aggregates for construction mortars.
Thanks to the trust, continuous growth and constantly high quality of products, Rawasy is a partner of strategic importance for STROUMBOULIS.
The Rawasy Quartz and Silica Products offer the ideal combination of high efficiency at competitive price for highly demanding construction applications, sports facilities, sand blasting etc.
DORFNER. The German manufacturer brand Dorfner GmbH is active in the production and treatment of quartz sand since 1895. One of their main products is coloured quartz sand GRANUCOL. They have extensive know how, whereas their state-of-the-art dying facility guarantees excellent quality and colour consistency, in every batch.
SIBELCO. The manufacturer brand SIBELCO was founded in 1872 in Belgium, focusing on the supply of the glass production industry with quartz sand. Nowadays SIBELCO is a multinational company active in over 40 countries, with 200 production factories.
It provides a large range of industrial minerals, with special focus on quartz products (sands, silica flour, cristobalites), offering a wide variety suitable for all uses and applications.
5 Good Reasons to choose STROUBOULIS Quartz products
- Collaboration – trade and supply of Quartz products of the most established worldwide Manufacturing & treatment brands.
- Most complete range of Quartz products in Greece, at all levels (types, grain sizes, colours)
- All Quartz sand products are certified at different levels by the Manufacturers of import, as well as by STROUMBOULIS in line with EN ISO 9001:2015.
- High flexibility and excellent service for the availability – delivery of the Quartz products at your facilities
- Hundreds of Clients with long-term collaboration with us can verify their confidence in the Company and the high quality of the STROUMBOULIS Quartz.
USEFUL INFORMATION BY STROUMBOULIS:
5 KEY ATTENTION POINTS IN THE PROVISION & USE OF QUARTZ
- The SiO2 content should be >92%.
- Each use or application requires a specific granulomety, which except the nominal limits, also depends of the grain size distribution (granulomety curve).
- Quartz products must have the appropriate certification depending on the use / application they are intended for.
- Inhaling quartz products’ dust causes silicosis which creates a permanent damage to the human body.
- In cases of bulk products delivery or those contained in big bags, their quantity should be checked upon delivery.