Author name: Axel Müller

Humankind’s use of silica raw materials began at least 1.85 million years ago with production of flint tools and spans to today’s more than 1000 industrial applications, all relying on its chemistry and specific physical properties. Among the key achievements are the discovery of the piezoelectric effect of quartz for timekeeping, the critical importance of silicon-based semiconductor technologies for the digitalization of our society, and the production of renewable energy through photovoltaics. One of the greatest challenges regarding raw material supply and security lies in identifying new quartz deposits of sufficient purity, size, and properties to meet increasing demands. Although quartz is mined from a variety of deposits, economically viable sources remain difficult to locate for reasons that we explain.