Accumax India
31 May, 2025
Silica Crucible
A silica crucible is a container made from silica (SiO₂), typically fused quartz or fused silica, used for high-temperature applications due to its excellent thermal stability and chemical inertness. Here’s a concise overview based on available information:
- High Melting Point: Fused silica can withstand temperatures up to ~1,650–1,700°C, making it ideal for processes like metal melting, crystal growth (e.g., Czochralski process for silicon wafers), and high-temperature chemical reactions.
- Low Thermal Expansion: Minimizes cracking under rapid temperature changes.
- Chemical Purity: Resistant to most acids and chemicals, except hydrofluoric acid and strong alkalis, ensuring minimal contamination in processes.
- Transparency: Fused quartz is often transparent to UV and IR, useful in optical and semiconductor applications.
- Fused Quartz: Made by melting natural quartz crystals; slightly less pure but cost-effective.
- Fused Silica: Synthetic, higher purity, used in precision applications like semiconductor manufacturing.
- Available in opaque or transparent forms, with shapes like cylindrical, conical, or custom designs.
- Semiconductor Industry: Used in silicon wafer production for microchips.
- Metallurgy: Melting metals like platinum, gold, or alloys.
- Laboratory Use: For calcination, ash determination, or high-temperature experiments.
- Glass and Ceramics: Melting and shaping high-purity materials.
- Specifications (based on typical products):
- Sizes range from small (e.g., 10 mL) to large (e.g., 500 mL or more).
- Wall thickness typically 1–3 mm for durability.
- Can include lids for contamination control or gas-tight environments.
- Thermal Shock: Gradual heating/cooling is required to prevent cracking.
- Purity Needs: Synthetic fused silica is preferred for ultra-high-purity applications.
- Cost: Fused silica crucibles are more expensive than quartz due to manufacturing complexity.