In the vast field of materials science, quartz fiber is gradually emerging as a high-performance material. It has many unique features that bring new development opportunities to numerous industries. Now, let's delve into the secrets of quartz fibers and unlock their hidden codes together.

Basic concepts and formation of quartz fibers

Quartz fiber, in simple terms, is an inorganic fiber made of high-purity silicon dioxide (SiO ₂). Its silica content is usually above 99%, which gives it many excellent properties. The formation process of quartz fibers is not simple, usually by melting natural quartz ore at high temperatures and then using specific drawing techniques to make fibers.

For example, in some advanced production processes, quartz raw materials are placed in high-temperature furnaces and heated to around 2000 ℃ to fully melt them. Then, through a small nozzle, the molten quartz liquid is stretched into extremely fine fibers under the action of high-speed airflow. The diameter of these fibers usually ranges from a few micrometers to tens of micrometers, much thinner than human hair strands.

Excellent performance of quartz fiber

The reason why quartz fiber is considered a high-performance material is mainly because it has a series of excellent properties. Firstly, it has extremely high heat resistance. Quartz fibers can be used for a long time in high temperature environments above 1000 ℃, and even in short periods of time at 1200 ℃, there will be no significant performance changes. This makes it widely used in fields such as aerospace and high-temperature industry.

For example, in the hot end components of aircraft engines, they need to withstand extremely high temperatures. Quartz fiber reinforced composite materials can be used to manufacture these components, effectively improving the operating temperature and efficiency of the engine while reducing the weight of the components. Secondly, quartz fibers have good chemical stability. It hardly reacts with any chemical substances and can resist the erosion of various chemical media such as acid, alkali, salt, etc. Quartz fibers can play an important role in corrosion-resistant equipment in industries such as chemical, food, and pharmaceutical.

In addition, quartz fibers also have the characteristics of low dielectric constant and low loss tangent. This gives it unique advantages in the field of electronic information, especially in high-frequency communication and radar. For example, when manufacturing high-performance antenna covers, quartz fiber reinforced composite materials can reduce electromagnetic wave losses and improve antenna performance.

Application cases of quartz fiber in different fields

In the aerospace field, quartz fiber is widely used. Taking spacecraft as an example, when entering the atmosphere, they will experience intense friction with the air, resulting in extremely high temperatures. Quartz fiber reinforced insulation materials can effectively protect the safety of equipment and personnel inside spacecraft. The US space shuttle uses a large amount of quartz fiber insulation material at the leading edge of its wings and nose cone, ensuring the safety of the spacecraft during re-entry into the atmosphere.

Quartz fibers also have important applications in the field of electronic information. With the development of 5G communication technology, the performance requirements for high-frequency circuit boards are becoming increasingly high. Quartz fiber reinforced copper-clad laminates have the advantages of low dielectric constant and low loss, which can meet the high-frequency and high-speed requirements of 5G communication. Some well-known domestic electronics companies have started to extensively use quartz fiber copper-clad laminates to produce high-performance 5G base station circuit boards.

In the field of architecture, quartz fibers can be used to enhance concrete. Adding quartz fibers to concrete can improve its tensile strength, crack resistance, and durability. In some large bridges, high-rise buildings and other projects, the use of quartz fiber-reinforced concrete can extend the service life of the structure and reduce maintenance costs. For example, during the construction of a cross sea bridge, quartz fiber-reinforced concrete was used, effectively improving the bridge's resistance to seawater erosion and structural stability.

Production and Market Status of Quartz Fiber

At present, the production technology of quartz fiber is mainly in the hands of a few developed countries. The United States, Japan and other countries have leading advantages in the production process and equipment of quartz fibers. The quartz fiber products produced by enterprises in these countries have high quality and stable performance, and occupy a large share in the international market.

However, in recent years, China has also made significant progress in the field of quartz fibers. Some domestic enterprises and research institutions have mastered the production technology of some quartz fibers through independent research and development, and gradually achieved industrialization. For example, a domestic enterprise has successfully produced high-performance quartz fiber products by introducing advanced production equipment and technology, and after years of research and improvement, breaking the technological monopoly of foreign countries.

From the perspective of market demand, with the rapid development of industries such as aerospace, electronic information, and new energy, the demand for quartz fiber is showing a growing trend. It is expected that the market size of quartz fiber will continue to expand in the coming years. At the same time, the market's performance requirements for quartz fibers will also become increasingly high, which will prompt enterprises to continuously increase research and development investment, improve product quality and performance.

The future development trend of quartz fiber

In the future, the development of quartz fibers will move towards high performance, multifunctionality, and low cost. In terms of high performance, researchers will strive to further improve the heat resistance, strength, modulus and other performance indicators of quartz fibers to meet more demanding application environmental requirements. For example, developing quartz fibers that can be used at higher temperatures for thermal protection systems in new generation aircraft engines and spacecraft.

In terms of multifunctionality, quartz fibers will be endowed with more functions. For example, through surface modification and other technologies, quartz fibers can have self-healing, sensing and other functions. In some key applications, quartz fibers can not only serve as structural materials, but also function as smart materials.

In terms of low cost, with the continuous advancement of production technology and the realization of large-scale production, the production cost of quartz fiber will gradually decrease. This will enable quartz fibers to be applied in more fields and further expand their market share. For example, in the automotive industry, if the cost of quartz fiber can be reduced to a certain extent, it can be used to manufacture lightweight components for automobiles, improving their fuel economy and performance.

In short, quartz fiber, as a high-performance material, has broad development prospects. With the continuous advancement of technology and the expansion of application fields, quartz fiber will play an important role in more fields and make greater contributions to the development of human society.