With the explosive growth of the global photovoltaic, semiconductor, and high-end electronic fiberglass industries, the demand for high-purity quartz powder has soared. The client, a leading enterprise in central Russia specializing in non-metallic mineral deep processing, aimed to provide strictly controlled quartz powder to its high-end customers in Europe and Asia.
In quartz processing, the client needed to extract ultrafine powder and precisely control the particle size of the remaining coarse powder. This “quartz ultrafine classification” posed an extremely high challenge to the cutting precision of the classifying equipment.
Challenges Faced
Prior to integrating our new equipment, the client primarily faced several technical pain points:
- Extremely High Hardness and Severe Wear: Quartz has a Mohs hardness of $7. The classifier wheels and inner linings of conventional equipment wear out rapidly. This abrasive wear introduces iron impurities and directly destroys the purity of the quartz.
- Rigorous Dual-Way Specifications: The client required both the coarse and fine powders to achieve an extremely narrow particle size distribution (PSD) within the same system. Conventional classifiers rarely balance the precision on both ends.
- Balance Between High Capacity and Low Energy Consumption: The client needed to maintain an industrial output of 600kg/h while achieving ultrafine target particle sizes.
Solution: Epic Powder ITC Series High-Precision Air Classifier
To address the client’s demanding requirements, Epic Powder deployed the ITC Series High-Precision Air Classifier for quartz ultrafine classification. This equipment is renowned in the industry for its exceptional cutting precision and wear-resistant design.
Below are the customized process parameters established for this Russian project:
| Parameter | Setting / Result |
| Material Processed | High-Purity Quartz Powder |
| Core Equipment | Epic Powder ITC Series Air Classifier |
| Fine Powder Spec (D97) | ≤10μm |
| Coarse Powder Spec (D50) | 18μm |
| Production Capacity | 600kg/h |
Technical Highlight: To combat the strong abrasiveness of quartz and prevent iron contamination, the classifying wheel of the ITC classifier is made of solid ceramic materials. The internal flow channels are also protected with high-purity, wear-resistant ceramic patches. This completely eliminates iron contamination and ensures particle size stability during continuous production.
Results Achieved
By implementing the Epic Powder ITC air classifier, this Russian client achieved remarkable commercial and technical benefits:
- Perfect Dual-Way Precision: The fine powder successfully achieved D97 = 10μm, while the coarse powder was precisely controlled at D50 = 18μm. Product added value increased significantly, allowing the client to enter the high-end electronic filler market.
- High Purity with Zero Contamination: The ceramic protection design kept the iron content (Fe2O3) of the final product at an extremely low level, fully satisfying international semiconductor-grade quartz standards.
- Stable and Efficient Production: Reaching a stable capacity of 600kg/h, the system operated smoothly, reducing maintenance costs by over 40% compared to traditional equipment.