The difference between ordinary sand and silica sand
The difference between ordinary sand and silica sand depends precisely on the standards that silica sand has, if the sand does not meet these standards, it will qualify for what is often called “regular” sand.
Silica sand standards
Silica sand, also known as quartz sand, white sand, or artificial sand, is composed of two main components: silica and oxygen. Specifically, silica sand is composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2).
Silica sand contains 95% SiO2 and less than 0.6% iron oxide.
The most common form of SiO2 is quartz – a chemically inert and relatively hard mineral.
SiO2 ranks 7 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale, making it ideal for use as filter media and abrasive sanding sand.
Although quartz is often white or colorless, it can come in a wide range of shades. The color of each type of sandy sediment depends largely on the variety of minerals and rock tailings that make up the resource.
How is ordinary sand different from silica sand
The main materials that ordinary sand is made of are: clay, silt, salts, mica, and organic matter. Ordinary sand, also known as feldspathic sand, brown sand, or construction sand, will always contain some silica, but in amounts less than 95% only. For example, typical brown sand used in concrete applications can contain up to 80% SiO2, along with varying amounts of iron, carbonate, potassium and other trace elements/minerals.
These “impurities” make ordinary sand more chemically reactive and often have a darker color when compared to silica sand. The color of ordinary sand can be in various shades of white, pink, green and also black – depending on the geological composition and geographical location of the sand deposits.
Ordinary sand uses
According to geologists, sand is defined as grains ranging in diameter from 0.0625 mm (or 1/16 mm) to 2 mm in diameter. The sandy group is located between the gravel group (the diameter of the gravel grains ranges from 2 mm to 64 mm according to the geologists system, and from 4.75 mm to 75 mm according to the Unified Soil Classification System) and the silt group (the diameter of the silt grains ranges from 0.004 mm). to 0.0625 mm).
Ordinary construction sand is used in screed and grouting applications, in short Builders Sand must be used for mortar engineering plaster, general contracting, and brick making. Ordinary sand is mainly used to make concrete because it can hold together well to form a hard, stable surface, but due to the size and shape of the particles, it is not as soft.
Sandy soils are ideal for some crops such as melons, peaches and peanuts, and their excellent dry properties make them suitable for intensive cultivation. Sand also lowers the cost of foundation materials for aquariums and is thought by some to be better than gravel for home use.
Among the regular uses of sand is what some governments are doing to transport sand to beaches that have been subjected to erosion, either by tides or winds or by an active act. Also, mixing sand with paint materials gives a tight decoration for walls or surfaces and floors with anti-slip, and artists usually use sand in drawing.
In the field of roads, engine drivers and railway locomotive operators use sand to improve the grip of wheels on the rails, and sand reduces stickiness and friction in snow and ice conditions and thus contributes to road safety.
