Silica Sand
Most commonly known as quartz, crystalline silica, monocrystalline quartz

WHAT IS
Silica Sand?
Silica sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of high levels of silica (silicon dioxide, SiO2). It’s abundance, purity, and diverse range of applications make it a valuable and sought-after resource in a wide variety of markets such as glass, ceramics, coatings, foundry, polymers, sports and recreation, construction, water filtration and many more.
Our silica sand is as high as 99.65% quartz. It is hard, chemically inert, and has a high melting point of 3,115° F (1,713° C), making it ideal for various applications.
We mine and process our silica sand as both whole and ground silica, and we offer our silica sand products in various ways:
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PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Our products require tight tolerances and qualification by the customer to ensure specifications are met on chemistry composition and grain particle distribution. The particle size of silica sand can vary from very fine to coarse, depending on its intended use. Silica sand is sourced at our mines in shapes from round to angular (Grain size distribution, shape, mineralogy, and chemistry vary by mine location).
WHERE DOES SILICA SAND
Come From?
North America has vast deposits of silica sand, with significant sources found in regions like the Intermountain West, Midwest, the Great Lakes area, and the southern parts of the United States. Our geology and mine planning teams play a vital role in procuring and developing quality mineral deposits so Covia and our customers have access to consistent, reliable products for their high-value applications now and into the future.
Covia currently has 27 silica sand mining plants in North America which are strategically located within geological formations that contain extensive deposits of high-quality silica sand such as Ordovician St. Peter Sandstone, Devonian Oriskany Sand, Tertiary-Miocene Pinehurst Sand, Cambrian Jordan Sandstone, Cambrian Galesville Formation, Ordovician Oil Creek Sandstone, Cambrian Cairnside (Potsdam) Sandstone, Eocene (Tertiary) Carrizo Sandstone and many others.
With such a diverse portfolio of silica sand deposits spanning from Canada to Mexico, our silica sand can exhibit variations in its color, grain size, roundness, sorting, purity, and other physical properties. For example, the sand chemistry, defined as the composition, structure, and trace minerals, depends on the geologic formation. The formation also impacts the trace elements, including iron oxide, aluminum oxide, calcium oxide, titanium oxide, magnesium oxide, potassium oxide, and sodium oxide. Covia is recognized for our outstanding, proprietary processing methods which can substantially remove detrimental trace minerals from our products, based on our internal quality management standards.
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW SILICA SAND IS MINED?
Join us on this educational and eye-opening virtual tour of one of our mining plants located in Chardon, OH where you'll gain unique insights on how we create high-quality silica products that are used in everyday life. Along the way, meet the team that ensures product quality at every step of the mining process.
Would you like to know more about Covia’s silica sand?