Silica Sand & Quartz Powder Production Line

High-Purity Silica Processing Plants – Zero Iron Contamination, Precise Particle Control Turnkey quartz sand and silica powder production lines from 50,000 to 500,000 TPY. Our integrated systems cover raw quartz crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, and fine classification. With ceramic-lined ball mills, high-gradient magnetic separators, and precise air classifiers, we deliver high-purity silica products with Fe₂O₃ ≤0.01% and tight particle size distribution (20-150 mesh for sand, D97 down to 10µm for powder). Whether producing glass sand, foundry sand, or ultra-fine silica powder for electronics, we provide full EPC services

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Pain Points & Solutions Applicable Material Process Technical Specifications Proven Performance Quality FAQ Contact Us Related Cases

Pain Points & Solutions

Pain Point

Our Solution

1 Iron Contamination Degrades Glass Transparency-Abrasion from steel equipment introduces iron, turning high-value glass sand into a low-grade product with a greenish tint.

Ceramic-Lined, Iron-Free Grinding & Magnetic Purification: Our ball mills are lined with high-alumina ceramic or natural rubber, and use flint pebbles or alumina balls as grinding media. Combined with high-gradient magnetic separators (HGMS), we guarantee final product Fe₂O₃ <0.01% for ultra-clear glass and photovoltaic applications.

2 Inconsistent Particle Size Causes Casting & Glass Defects-Uneven sand particle distribution leads to low glass melting efficiency or poor foundry mold permeability.

Precision Classification System: Our hydrocyclones (for wet sand) or multi-stage air classifiers (for dry powder) produce narrow, repeatable size fractions. Whether you need a 40-70 mesh frac sand or a 325-mesh ultrafine silica powder, the top-cut is precisely controlled.

3 Low Throughput in Ultra-Fine Quartz Grinding-Hard quartz demands enormous energy to grind to powder fineness, making fine silica powder production costly.

Energy-Efficient Closed-Circuit Ball Mills: Our ceramic ball mill + air classifier circuits recycle only oversized particles back to the mill, reducing the specific energy consumption for D97=15µm silica powder by up to 20% compared to open-circuit systems.

4 High Wear Costs from Abrasive Quartz-Quartz is a highly abrasive mineral that rapidly wears out standard mill liners and grinding media, increasing maintenance cost and contaminating the product.

Advanced Wear Protection: Our process equipment in direct contact with quartz is lined with high-alumina ceramics (92-99% Al₂O₃), rubber, or polyurethane. Liner service life exceeds 5 years, and media wear rates are minimized, keeping iron pickup near zero.

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Applicable Material

Our silica sand and quartz powder production line is a complete, integrated facility engineered to produce high-purity silica products from quartzite, quartz sandstone, or vein quartz. We deliver the entire plant as a single-source EPC project.

System Scope of Supply

Core Process Equipment:
· Raw quartz receiving hopper with grid and belt conveyor
· Jaw crusher + cone crusher or impact crusher (two-stage crushing to ≤20 mm)
· Wet or dry grinding circuit: ceramic-lined ball mill or rod mill
· Classification system: hydrocyclone cluster (wet) or air classifier (dry)
· High-gradient magnetic separator (HGMS) for iron removal
· Optional flotation cells (for removing feldspar, mica, heavy minerals)
· Acid leaching and washing system (for ultra-high purity quartz, optional)
· Dewatering system: thickener + filter press (for wet process)
· Drying system: rotary dryer or fluidized bed dryer (for dry sand/powder)
· Product storage silos and automatic bag packing (25/50 kg) + bulk loading
· Integrated baghouse dust collectors for entire plant (emission <10 mg/Nm³)
· Full PLC/DCS central control system

Raw Quartz Materials We Process:
· Quartzite / Quartz rock (SiO₂ ≥98%, typical 99.0-99.9%)
· Quartz sandstone (SiO₂ ≥95%, requires washing and desliming)
· Vein quartz (SiO₂ ≥99.9%, for ultra-high purity applications)
· Silica sand (natural, beach or river, requires washing and classification)
· Waste glass / recycled glass (for low-iron glass sand production)

Finished Product Types We Guarantee:

Product Grade	SiO₂ Purity	Fe₂O₃ Max	Particle Size Range	Typical Application
Ultra-clear glass sand	≥99.5%	≤0.010%	20-120 mesh	Photovoltaic glass, TFT-LCD glass
Float glass sand	≥99.0%	≤0.05%	20-140 mesh	Architectural and automotive glass
Container glass sand	≥98.5%	≤0.10%	20-100 mesh	Bottles, tableware
Foundry sand	≥98.0%	≤0.30%	40-120 mesh (AFS 40-60)	Metal casting molds
Silica flour / powder	≥99.0%	≤0.05%	325 mesh – D97=10µm	Ceramics, paints, adhesives, electronics
Frac sand	≥99.0%	≤0.05%	20/40, 40/70, 70/140 mesh	Oil and gas hydraulic fracturing
Filter sand	≥98.5%	≤0.10%	0.5-2.0 mm	Water filtration

Process

From Quartz Rock to High-Purity Silica Sand or Powder: How Your Plant Works

Raw Quartz Crushing & Storage – Large quartz blocks (≤600 mm) are crushed in a jaw crusher to <100 mm, then a cone crusher or impact crusher further reduces them to ≤20 mm. The granules are stored in a buffer silo or covered stockpile.
Grinding & Liberation – The crushed quartz is fed into a ceramic-lined ball mill or rod mill. In the wet process, water is added to form a slurry; in the dry process, the material is ground directly. The grinding action liberates silica grains from the matrix and reduces particle size.
Classification & Sizing – The mill discharge flows to a hydrocyclone (wet) or an air classifier (dry). The product-sized material is separated from the oversize, which returns to the mill for further grinding. This closed circuit ensures a tight particle size distribution.
Magnetic Separation & Purification – The sized slurry or powder passes through a high-gradient magnetic separator (HGMS) to remove weakly magnetic iron-bearing minerals (hematite, limonite, biotite). For ultra-high purity quartz, an additional flotation stage or acid leaching step can be integrated.
Dewatering & Drying (for dry products) – In the wet process, the purified slurry is thickened and dewatered in a filter press to <10% moisture. The filter cake is then dried in a rotary dryer or fluidized bed dryer to <0.5% moisture.
Final Packaging & Dispatch – The dried silica sand is screened into final size fractions, stored in product silos, and packed in 25-50 kg bags or loaded in bulk. A central PLC/DCS monitors and controls the entire process from raw stone to packaged product.

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Technical Specifications

Standard Silica Sand & Powder Production Line Configurations

Plant Capacity (TPY)	Main Mill Model	Classification Type	Magnetic Separator	Fe₂O₃ Guarantee	Product Types
50,000	Φ1.8×7m Ceramic Ball Mill	Hydrocyclone or Air Classifier	1× HGMS	≤0.05%	Glass sand, foundry sand
100,000	Φ2.2×7m Ceramic Ball Mill	Hydrocyclone + Air Classifier	2× HGMS	≤0.02%	Float glass sand, silica flour
200,000	Φ2.4×13m Ceramic Ball Mill	Multi-stage Air Classifier	3× HGMS + optional flotation	≤0.015%	Ultra-clear glass sand, fine powder
500,000	2×Φ2.4m or Φ3.2×13m	Multi-stage Classifier	4× HGMS + flotation/acid wash	≤0.008%	Photovoltaic glass sand, high-purity quartz

*Capacity based on quartzite with Bond Work Index 14-16 kWh/t, producing 20-120 mesh glass sand. Fine powder production capacities are lower.*

Key Performance Guarantees

Parameter	Guaranteed Value
Product SiO₂ purity	≥99.0% – 99.9% (depending on ore and process)
Fe₂O₃ content	≤0.05% – 0.008% (per contract)
Particle size top cut	±2% on target mesh
Dust emission	<10 mg/Nm³
Plant availability	>85% (annual)
Water consumption (wet process)	<0.5 m³/t product (recycled)

EPC Project Scope Options:

· Full EPC (Turnkey): Complete plant from raw quartz receiving to bagged/bulk product dispatch, including civil, structure, crushing, grinding, magnetic separation, classification, drying, electrical, automation, and training.
· EP (Engineering & Equipment Supply): Design plus supply of all core equipment. Civil works and erection by others, with our supervision.
· Core Grinding & Purification System: Supply of ceramic ball mill, air classifier, and magnetic separators only.

Tell us your quartz ore type, target SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ specification, and required product particle size range. We will design the optimal processing circuit and provide a firm EPC quotation.

Proven Performance

Proven Performance: Global Silica Sand & Powder Plant Projects

Case 1: 100,000 TPY Float Glass Sand Plant, Middle East
· Scope: Full EPC (Quartzite rock to dry glass sand)
· Configuration: Jaw crusher + cone crusher + Φ2.2×7m ceramic ball mill + hydrocyclone + 2× HGMS + rotary dryer
· Raw material: Quartzite, SiO₂ 99.2%, Fe₂O₃ 0.08%
· Product: Float glass sand, 20-120 mesh, SiO₂ 99.5%, Fe₂O₃ 0.018%
· Result: Commissioned in 11 months. Product fully replaced imported glass sand for a local float glass line. Magnetic separator tailings <2%, maximizing yield.

Case 2: 200,000 TPY Ultra-Clear Photovoltaic Glass Sand Plant, East Asia
· Scope: Full EPC with flotation
· Configuration: Φ2.4×13m ceramic ball mill + multi-stage air classifier + 3× HGMS + flotation circuit + acid wash (optional)
· Raw material: Vein quartz, SiO₂ 99.8%
· Product: Photovoltaic glass sand, Fe₂O₃ 0.009%, 30-120 mesh
· Result: Product qualified for the world's top three PV glass manufacturers. The integrated flotation circuit removed trace feldspar and mica, achieving the critical <0.010% Fe₂O₃ specification.

Case 3: 50,000 TPY Silica Flour Plant Upgrade, Europe
· Scope: Retrofit EPC (replaced steel mill with ceramic mill + added HGMS)
· Original: Open-circuit steel ball mill, Fe₂O₃ 0.15% in product, low price
· New: Φ1.8×7m ceramic-lined ball mill + 1× HGMS + air classifier
· Product: Silica flour, 325 mesh, Fe₂O₃ 0.03%, for adhesives and paints
· Result: Product value increased 3x after reducing iron. Payback on retrofit: 1.5 years.

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Quality

EPC Delivery & Quartz Purity Assurance

· Single-Source EPC Responsibility: We are the sole engineering, procurement, and construction partner for your silica sand plant. No split responsibility between crushing, grinding, and purification equipment suppliers.
· Quartz Analysis & Pilot Processing: Before design, we run a complete mineralogical (XRD, microscopy) and chemical (XRF, ICP) analysis of your quartz ore. A pilot grinding and magnetic separation test produces a 5 kg sample with guaranteed purity and particle size. We provide a certified quality report.
· Performance Test & Handover: A 72-hour continuous performance test verifies plant output, SiO₂ purity, Fe₂O₃ content, and particle size distribution. The plant is handed over only after meeting all contractual specifications.
· After-Sales & Spare Parts: 12-month defect liability period. Ceramic liners, magnetic separator cryogenic systems, and other wear/consumable parts are stocked regionally. Training for operators and lab technicians included.

FAQ

What is the investment cost of a silica sand processing plant?

The cost of a silica sand plant depends on capacity, required product purity (Fe₂O₃ target), and process complexity (wet/dry, magnetic separation only or with flotation/acid wash). A 100,000 TPY plant for float glass sand typically ranges from USD 2-5 million. We provide a detailed EPC quote within 24 hours.

1 How do you achieve ultra-low iron content (<0.01% Fe₂O₃) for photovoltaic glass sand?

We use a combination of ceramic-lined grinding (no iron from wear), multi-stage high-gradient magnetic separation (HGMS), and optionally flotation and acid washing. Each step is designed based on your specific ore's iron mineralogy. We guarantee the final Fe₂O₃ target through pilot testing.

2 Wet or dry process: which is better for silica sand?

Wet processing is standard for sand products (glass, foundry, frac sand) because it effectively removes clay and uses water for classification. Dry processing is preferred for silica powder production where drying cost is already necessary, and for regions with limited water. We help you decide based on your product, water availability, and cost.

3 Can your plant produce both silica sand and silica flour simultaneously?

Yes. Our plants can be configured with parallel classification lines to produce multiple product grades at the same time (e.g., 20-40 mesh frac sand, 40-140 mesh glass sand, and -325 mesh silica flour). This maximizes the value of the quarried quartz and reduces waste.

4 How do you control dust in the silica plant?

The entire plant operates under negative pressure with baghouse dust collectors at every transfer point, crusher, mill, and packing station. Stack emissions are guaranteed <10 mg/Nm³. For dry processing, all conveyors are enclosed to prevent silica dust release, protecting worker health.

5 Can you process recycled glass cullet into glass sand?

Yes. Waste glass cullet can be crushed, magnetically separated (to remove metal contaminants), and ground to the desired particle size to produce low-iron glass sand for container or flat glass production. This is a sustainable, circular economy option.

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Contact Us

Ready to Build Your World-Class Silica Sand or Quartz Powder Plant?

Send an inquiry. You will receive:

A complete silica sand processing plant proposal tailored to your quartz ore, capacity, and target purity.
A detailed process flow diagram, equipment list, and firm EPC price.
A project schedule from design to commissioning.

Your quartz ore data and business plan are kept strictly confidential.

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Company Profile

Leading Provider of Mining & Processing Equipment

Kolev Equipment Technology Co., Ltd. is a large-scale private technology enterprise specializing in the research, development, production, and sales of mining and metal ore processing equipment. With over 20 years of experience in ultra-fine grinding, industrial drying, and crushing sand making industries, we provide intelligent solutions and mature supporting products worldwide.

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Clients

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