Detailed Explanation of Quartz Glass Tube Types and Their Applications？

The varieties and uses of quartz glass are closely related. Users demand specific quartz glass products based on their unique properties, leading to the development of new types, which in turn enhance performance, quality, and industry advancement. Almost every industry utilizes quartz glass, but due to its complex manufacturing process and high material costs, its widespread use is limited. Below is an overview of the main types and applications of quartz glass.

1. Transparent Quartz Glass

Transparent quartz glass offers excellent light transmission from the ultraviolet (UV) to infrared (IR) spectrum, along with superior heat resistance. It is widely used in:

• Electric light sources: Mercury lamps, ultra-high-pressure mercury lamps, xenon lamps, UV lamps, iodine-tungsten lamps, halogen lamps, gas laser lamps, and metal halide lamps. (This is the largest application sector in China.)

• Semiconductor industry: Due to its ultra-high purity (almost 100% SiO₂ with minimal impurities), it is indispensable for:

  • Silicon crucibles & tubes, potassium alloy crucibles, and high-purity metal manufacturing equipment.

  • Large quartz bell jars (used as outer covers for polysilicon furnaces, replacing stainless steel, eliminating water cooling, saving energy, and improving polysilicon quality).

  • Quartz crucibles (essential for growing monocrystalline silicon from polysilicon, with no viable alternatives).

  • Diffusion tubes & bell jars (for epitaxy, doping, and sintering in IC and transistor production).

  • Quartz glass racks (for silicon wafer cleaning).
    Thus, the semiconductor industry heavily relies on various quartz glass tubes, rods, crucibles, and labware.

2. Opaque Quartz Glass (Milky Quartz Glass)

Opaque quartz glass is primarily used in infrared heating applications, with an annual consumption of nearly 1,000 tons. Key uses include:

• Infrared heaters, room heaters, and crystal heaters.

• Industrial heating: Electroplating bath heating, acid heating, paint curing (automotive, bicycle industries), and tempering glass processes.

• Drying tunnels: Food processing, papermaking, and textile industries.

3. Electrical Properties & High-Tech Applications

Quartz glass exhibits ionic conductivity with only trace amounts of alkali metal ions, giving it:

• Excellent electrical insulation

• Low dielectric loss

• Stable high-temperature electrical performance
  These properties make it critical for missile and aerospace technologies.

Conclusion

Quartz glass plays a vital role in advanced industries due to its optical clarity, thermal stability, chemical purity, and electrical insulation. While its high cost limits mass adoption, its unique properties ensure irreplaceability in semiconductors, lighting, heating, and aerospace applications.