Industrial minerals
Silica Sand 96%+ SiO2 — Glass, Foundry & Filtration Grade Bulk
FOB Black Sea / MENA · CFR/CIF worldwide on request
Indicative price
USD 25–30 / MT
Indicative range, firm quote on request
Key parameters
Full product details
Product overview
Silica sand — quartz sand in trade terminology — is the foundational industrial mineral behind flat and container glass, foundry molding cores, rapid sand filters, ceramic tile bodies and engineered concrete blends. Our export grade delivers 96% minimum silicon dioxide with iron oxide capped at 0.05%, keeping melt colour stable in soda-lime glass furnaces and reducing burn-on defects in green-sand casting lines.
Material is quarried from aeolian and fluvial deposits at Black Sea and MENA sites with on-site washing, screening and magnetic separation. White to off-white appearance confirms low organic matter and clay binder levels; moisture below 0.5% ensures free-flowing bulk discharge from vessel holds and silos without bridging. Grain fraction 0.1–1.0 mm suits general industrial use — finer or coarser cuts (AFS 40–60 for foundry, −0.5 mm for filtration) are available on specification.
Typical buyers include float-glass producers securing merchant silica when captive quarries face seasonal extraction limits, foundry groups building molding-sand inventory ahead of automotive casting campaigns, municipal water-treatment contractors replacing filter media beds, and construction material blenders formulating dry mortars and self-levelling compounds. HS code 2505.10. MOQ from 1,000 MT on FOB, CFR or CIF terms.
Full specification
| Silicon dioxide (SiO2) | 96% min (dry basis) |
| Iron oxide (Fe2O3) | 0.05% max |
| Aluminium oxide (Al2O3) | 1.0% max |
| Calcium oxide (CaO) | 0.3% max |
| Loss on ignition | 0.5% max |
| Clay and fines (<63 µm) | 0.5% max |
| Moisture | 0.5% max |
| Particle size | 0.1–1.0 mm, 90% min on sieve (standard cut) |
| Bulk density | ≈ 1,500 kg/m³ (loose) |
| Appearance | White to off-white, angular to sub-rounded grains |
| HS code | 2505.10 |
Loading ports & logistics
Dry silica sand is a non-hazardous bulk solid under IMSBC Code — no liquefaction risk when moisture stays within specification. We coordinate three principal delivery modes depending on parcel size and receiver infrastructure.
Open-hold bulk carriers and coastal barges move parcels of 1,000–15,000 MT from quarry-adjacent jetties on the Black Sea and Arabian Gulf. Geared handysize and supramax tonnage suit draft-restricted discharge ports; grab unloading at the receiver berth is standard unless a pneumatic ship-unloader is available.
1-tonne jumbo bags in containers hold approximately 26–28 MT per 40-foot unit and suit inland glass plants and foundries without deep-water berth access. Bags are UV-stabilized polypropylene with inner polyethylene liner; stacking pattern and lashing plan are included in the shipping instructions.
Road hopper trucks and rail wagons cover short-haul legs from quarry to regional silos within 500 km of load point. FOB loading at exporter-nominated stockpile or jetty; CFR and CIF quotes include vessel freight, marine insurance and discharge-port handling survey before firm offer. Typical lead time 10–20 days from contract execution to first loading window.
Packaging & documentation
Cargo ships as unbagged bulk in vessel holds, 1-tonne jumbo bags on pallets, or loose in tipper trucks — no small retail packaging for merchant industrial grade. Each lot is accompanied by a quarry certificate of analysis showing SiO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3, moisture and sieve analysis, safety data sheet (SDS) per GHS for crystalline silica exposure guidance, commercial invoice, weight certificate, bill of lading and certificate of origin.
Third-party inspection (SGS, Bureau Veritas or equivalent) at load port can be arranged on buyer request — covering hold cleanliness, moisture verification and representative sampling per ISO 13503-2 or buyer method. Radiometric screening for heavy minerals is available for filtration-grade contracts. Phytosanitary and fumigation certificates issued where destination customs require them for bagged mineral shipments.
FAQ
What SiO2 purity do glass and foundry buyers require?
Float and container glass lines typically specify 96–99% SiO2 with iron oxide below 0.05% to avoid green tint in the melt. Foundry molding sand tolerates slightly lower purity (94–96% SiO2) but demands tight grain-size distribution and clay content below 0.5% for consistent permeability and core strength.
How is bulk silica sand shipped on international routes?
Dry silica sand moves in open-hold bulk carriers, hopper trucks or 1-tonne jumbo bags stacked in containers. Parcels from 1,000 MT suit coastal barges and handysize bulkers; larger glass-plant contracts above 10,000 MT load on geared bulk carriers at quarry-adjacent jetties. Moisture must stay below 0.5% to prevent hold caking.
What drives the indicative silica sand price per tonne?
FOB quotations reflect SiO2 grade, iron and alumina impurity levels, grain-size fraction requested, quarry haul distance to load port, and vessel freight to your discharge berth. The USD 25–30/MT band covers standard industrial grades from Black Sea and MENA origins; premium low-iron fractions for optical glass command higher levels.
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