Turning Brown Silica Gravel Into White Silica Powder

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the process of transforming brown silica gravel into white silica powder. Participants explore the differences between various forms of silica and the methods required for processing the gravel to achieve a lighter color.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the method to convert brown silica gravel into white silica powder, suggesting a need for processing to remove impurities.
  • Another participant notes that there are different kinds of silica and forms of silicon dioxide, implying that the brown gravel and white powder may not be the same.
  • A follow-up response questions whether the brown gravel and white powder are the same, proposing that the gravel could be cleaned and crushed to produce powder.
  • It is suggested that grinding the brown silica may lighten its color due to changes in light reflection, but the white silica may originate from a different manufacturing process.
  • Concerns are raised about the complexity of "cleaning" the gravel, indicating that it may contain other elements contributing to its color, and that the grains may have different atomic arrangements.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the brown silica gravel and white silica powder are the same material, and there is no consensus on the specific processing methods required to achieve the desired transformation.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention the need for more than simple cleaning methods, indicating that the discussion may involve complex chemical and physical properties of silica that are not fully resolved.

mymachine
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This is the silica gravel that I already own:

http://images-en.busytrade.com/174645700/Silica-Sand.jpg
If I compare to the other silica form such as below silica powder:

silica[/PLAIN] powder
http://lanemt.com/images/golf_sandpile.jpg

How can the brown-color silica gravel tuned into white silica powder?

Thank you
 
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Simon Bridge said:
It has to be processed to remove impurities.
There are lots of different kinds of silica and different forms that silicon-dioxide can take.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon_dioxide

So the brown-color silica gravel and the white silica powder is different?

Or both are the same?

If same, the brown-color silica gravel is being cleaned until the color is white.

Next crush it using the stone crusher machine to get the powder?
 
If you grind your brown silica it will probably get lighter as it reflects the light differently but basically yes: the white silica in the pic is most likely just a different kind of silica ... probably a totally different manufacturing process.

Your brown silica actually has lots of different colors in it you notice - including plain white. So you could painstakingly go through and separate out the white ones...

"Cleaning" would have to be more than just soaking in bleach or scrubbing with soapy water - it's not "dirty" as such since it is dirt. Some of the actual crystals probably have elements other than silicon and oxygen in it - giving it some extra color - and the grains will be made of different arrangements of the atoms anyway.
 

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