To most of us, the desert sands would have as much to do with the modern technology we use every day as dinosaurs with fast food. Yet sand is the basic material now used to create fused quartz, a vital element in fiber optics.

Fused quartz, or silicon dioxide, to give its chemical name, was originally produced from pure quartz crystal, melted at extremely high temperatures.

Quartz crystals can be seen in new age shops in their raw state, which isn’t surprising, as it is the most common solid mineral on earth. Some varieties of quartz, such as the amethyst and the citrine, are worn as gems. Quartz crystals are used in radios and watches, and it has been involved in technological advances since it was first discovered to have the power to generate electricity. This effect, called piezoelectricity, and known in the 18 th century, led to the early use of quartz crystals in the World War I, in sonar devices.

But while quartz crystals continue to be used for fused quartz, it has been found that when crystalline silica occurs in sand or rock, it can also produce fused quartz, or synthetic fused silica, as this man made fused quartz is called.

Fused quartz is stronger and has a higher melting point than ordinary glass, making it a more useful material in certain applications.

It is used as the envelope for halogen lamps, which operate at too high a temperature for ordinary glass. Fused quartz allows the halogen lamp to combine extreme brightness with long life.

Where is Fused Quartz Used

But it is in the field of fiber optics that most people are familiar with fused quartz. Spun fine as a strand of Gwyneth Paltrow’s hair, fused quartz is essential to the technology of fiber optics. Tremendously strong and flexible, these strands can be bundled together to send huge amounts of information at high speed across great distances. A fiber optic cable can hold up to 1000 of these fine strands, so it is essential if you want smooth, fast transmission in today’s busting Internet marketplace.

Of course, these strands can’t be used just as they are – they need to be coated with a material that ensures no light escapes, and that the light is reflected back into the fused quartz so the cable can be bent and twisted and is still able to transmit. Then it must be coated again with a protective material to keep the core safe from damage.

Before fiber optic cable, the most common conducting cable material was copper. But thanks to fused quartz – and particularly now that it can also be made from sand – fiber optic cables are cheaper, lighter and safer. No electricity is transmitted through fiber optic cables, so there is no fire hazard. Fused quartz strands don’t interfere with each other, so reception is clearer, and are ideal for transmitting digital information.

Fused quartz has evolved from the desert to the urban sprawl – and it is helping to bring communications over distances just as vast.