We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Chemistry

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What Is a Quartz Crucible?

By Christian Petersen
Updated: May 21, 2024
Views: 10,462
Share

A quartz crucible is a cup or bowl-shaped container made from quartz glass. It is used for holding and heating materials in laboratories and in certain industrial applications like the manufacture of silicon wafers for microchips and in solar cell industry. A quartz crucible can be very small or as large as 3 feet (0.9 m) in diameter. The crucible can also be made with a variety of different formulations of quartz glass, depending on usage.

Glass made from pure crushed quartz is called quartz glass. It is durable and heat resistant and highly desirable as a glass for laboratory equipment, including beakers, flasks, and crucibles. It is also chemically inactive, which is also useful in laboratory settings. A quartz crucible has another property that makes it suitable for heating materials. It resists expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature.

Quartz glass is naturally clear, more so than regular glass. It can be made opaque, however, with certain additives, and quartz glass of this type is sometimes used for making crucibles. Opaque quartz glass is usually white or off white in color, although other colors are possible. A quartz crucible is typically thick walled and both heavier and stronger than a typical beaker, flask or other glass laboratory equipment and often lacks a rolled rim as is often found on many other types of laboratory glass. A quartz crucible may have a close fitting lid.

Beyond their use in laboratories, quartz crucibles are widely used in the microchip and solar cell industries. The chemical composition of quartz makes containers of this type ideal for the creation of large silicon wafers of extremely high quality and crystalline uniformity. These wafers are used to make microchips, and a similar process is used to make solar cells. Quartz crucibles are sometimes used in the refining of certain metals because they are able to withstand the high temperatures found in the refining process.

A quartz crucible can vary greatly in physical dimensions. They can be very small, holding only a few milliliters, or very large, like those used in the microchip and refining industries. Shapes can vary widely as well, depending on the usage. A quartz crucible may be cylindrical, tall, and narrow, or a short, squat, wide shape. They may be tapered, with sides having a straight or curved profile. The glass can vary in thickness, depending on the intended use and can be as much as 2 inches (5 cm) or more thick.

Share
All The Science is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Discussion Comments
Share
https://www.allthescience.org/what-is-a-quartz-crucible.htm
Copy this link
All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

All The Science, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.