I-BROKEN HILL, e-Australia – Julayi 7, 2025– Emajukujukwini angaphandle aseNew South Wales ashiswe yilanga, isazi se-geology esinolwazi uSarah Chen ubheka ngokucophelela isampula ye-core esanda kuhlukaniswa. Idwala liyakhanya, cishe njengengilazi, linomumo ohlukile kashukela. “Yilokho okuhle,” ekhononda, ekhombisa ukwaneliseka okusika uthuli. “99.3% SiO₂. Lo mthambo ungagijima amakhilomitha amaningi.” UChen akafuni igolide noma umhlaba ongavamile; ufuna iminerali yezimboni ebaluleke kakhulu, kodwa evame ukunganakwa: ubumsulwa obuphezuluitshe le-silica, isisekelo sesikhathi sethu sobuchwepheshe.
Okungaphezu Kwesihlabathi Nje
Ngokuvamile okubizwa ngokuthi i-quartzite noma itshe lesihlabathi elimsulwa kakhulu, itshe le-silica liyidwala elivela ngokwemvelo elakhiwe ngokuyinhloko yi-silicon dioxide (SiO₂). Ngenkathi isihlabathi se-silica sithola ukunakwa okwengeziwe, izinga eliphezulu.itshe le-silicaAmadiphozithi anikeza izinzuzo ezihlukile: ukuzinza okukhulu kwe-geological, ukungcola okuphansi, futhi, kwezinye izimo, amavolumu amakhulu afanelekela imisebenzi emikhulu yezimayini yesikhathi eside. Akuyona into ekhangayo, kodwa indima yayo iyisisekelo.
“Izwe lanamuhla lisebenzisa i-silicon,” kuchaza uDkt. Arjun Patel, usosayensi wezinto zokwakha eSingapore Institute of Technology. “Kusukela ku-chip efonini yakho kuya kuphaneli yelanga ophahleni lwakho, ingilazi efasiteleni lakho, kanye nekhebula le-fiber optic eliletha lezi zindaba - konke kuqala nge-silicon emsulwa kakhulu. Futhi isandulela esisebenza kahle kakhulu nesingabizi kakhulu saleyo silicon itshe le-silica elihlanzekile kakhulu. Ngaphandle kwalo, yonke imvelo yamandla obuchwepheshe kanye nohlaza iyama.”
Ukushesha Komhlaba Wonke: Imithombo Nezinselele
Ukuzingela i-premiumitshe le-silicaiyanda emhlabeni jikelele. Amadiphozithi abalulekile atholakala ku:
I-Australia:Izifunda ezifana neBroken Hill kanye nePilbara zinokwakheka okukhulu kwe-quartzite yasendulo, okwaziwa ngokubumbana kwazo kanye nokuqukethwe okuphansi kwensimbi. Izinkampani ezifana ne-Australian Silica Quartz Ltd. (ASQ) zandisa imisebenzi ngokushesha.
I-united states:Izintaba zase-Appalachian, ikakhulukazi izindawo eziseNtshonalanga Virginia nasePennsylvania, zinemithombo eminingi ye-quartzite. I-Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. isanda kumemezela imiphumela yokuhlolwa ethembisayo evela kuphrojekthi yayo ephambili eNtshonalanga Virginia, iqokomisa amandla ayo okukhiqiza i-silicon yezinga lelanga.
IBrazil:Ama-quartzite acebile esifundazweni saseMinas Gerais ayindawo eyinhloko, yize izinselele zengqalasizinda ngezinye izikhathi ziphazamisa ukukhiqizwa kwe-quartzite.
IScandinavia:INorway neSweden zinamadiphozithi asezingeni eliphezulu, athandwa abakhiqizi bezobuchwepheshe baseYurophu ngamaketanga okuphakelwa amafushane nathembekile.
IShayina:Nakuba ingumkhiqizi omkhulu, ukukhathazeka kusalokhu kuqhubeka mayelana nezindinganiso zemvelo kanye nokungaguquguquki kwamazinga okuhlanzeka kwezinye izimayini ezincane, okwenza abathengi bamazwe ngamazwe bafune eminye imithombo.
“Umncintiswano unamandla,” kusho uLars Bjornson, i-CEO yeNordic Silica Minerals. “Eminyakeni eyishumi edlule, i-silica yayiyimpahla ethengiswa kakhulu. Namuhla, imininingwane iqinile kakhulu. Asigcini nje ngokuthengisa idwala; sithengisa isisekelo sama-wafer e-silicon ahlanzekile kakhulu. Izakhi zokulandelela ezifana ne-boron, i-phosphorus, noma ngisho nensimbi emazingeni ezingxenye ngesigidi zingaba yinhlekelele enkulu ekuvuneni kwe-semiconductor. Amakhasimende ethu adinga ukuqinisekiswa kwe-geological kanye nokucutshungulwa okuqinile.”
Ukusuka Emgodini Wokugwaza Kuya Echibini: Uhambo Lokuhlanza
Ukuguqula itshe le-silica eliqinile libe yinto ehlanzekile edingekayo kwezobuchwepheshe kuhilela inqubo eyinkimbinkimbi, edinga amandla amaningi:
Ukumba Nokuchoboza:Amabhulokhi amakhulu akhishwa, ngokuvamile ngokuqhuma okulawulwayo ezimayini ezivulekile, bese echotshozwa abe yizicucu ezincane, ezifanayo.
Inzuzo:Idwala elichotshoziwe liyagezwa, lihlukaniswe ngogesi, futhi liyantanta ukuze kususwe ukungcola okuningi njengobumba, i-feldspar, kanye namaminerali aphethe insimbi.
Ukucubungula Izinga Lokushisa Eliphezulu:Izingcezu ze-quartz ezihlanziwe zibe sezifakwa ekushiseni okukhulu. Ezithandweni ze-arc ezingaphansi kwamanzi, zisabela nemithombo yekhabhoni (njenge-coke noma ama-wood chips) ukuze zikhiqize i-silicon ye-metallurgical-grade (MG-Si). Lena yizinto zokusetshenziswa ze-aluminium alloys kanye namanye amaseli elanga.
Ukuhlanzwa Okukhulu:Kuma-electronics (ama-semiconductor chips) kanye namaseli elanga asebenza kahle kakhulu, i-MG-Si ithuthukiswa kakhulu. Inqubo ye-Siemens noma ama-reaktor ebhedi aguquguqukayo aguqula i-MG-Si ibe yigesi ye-trichlorosilane, bese ihlanzwa ibe msulwa kakhulu bese ibekwa njenge-polysilicon ingots. Lawa ma-ingots asikiwe kuma-wafers amancane kakhulu aba yinhliziyo yama-microchips namaseli elanga.
Amandla Okushayela: I-AI, Ilanga, kanye Nokuzinza
Ukwanda kwesidingo kukhuthazwa yizinguquko ezenzeka ngesikhathi esisodwa:
Ukwanda kwe-AI:Ama-semiconductor athuthukile, adinga ama-wafer e-silicon ahlanzekile njalo, ayizinjini zobuhlakani bokwenziwa. Izikhungo zedatha, ama-AI chips, kanye nekhompyutha esebenza kahle kakhulu kungabathengi abaneliseki.
Ukwandiswa Kwamandla Elanga:Imizamo yomhlaba wonke yokukhuthaza amandla avuselelekayo inyuse kakhulu isidingo samaphaneli e-photovoltaic (PV). I-silicon ehlanzekile kakhulu ibalulekile kumaseli elanga asebenza kahle. I-International Energy Agency (IEA) ibikezela ukuthi umthamo we-PV yelanga uzophindeka kathathu ngo-2030, okubeka ingcindezi enkulu eketangeni lokuhlinzekwa kwe-silicon.
Ukukhiqiza Okuthuthukisiwe:I-quartz exutshwe ngobumsulwa obuphezulu, etholakala etsheni le-silica, ibalulekile ezintweni ezisetshenziswa ekukhuleni kwekristalu ye-silicon, kuma-optics akhethekile, kuma-labware okushisa okuphezulu, kanye nasemishinini yokukhiqiza ye-semiconductor.
Intambo Eqinile Yokuzinza
Lokhu kuchuma akunazo izinkinga ezinkulu zemvelo nezenhlalo. Ukumbiwa kwe-silica, ikakhulukazi imisebenzi yemigodi evulekile, kushintsha indawo futhi kudle amanzi amaningi. Ukulawulwa kothuli kubalulekile ngenxa yengozi yokuphefumula ye-crystalline silica (i-silicosis). Izinqubo zokuhlanza ezisebenzisa amandla amaningi zinegalelo ekunyathelweni kwe-carbon.
“Ukuthola izinto ngokuzibophezela kubaluleke kakhulu,” kugcizelela uMaria Lopez, inhloko ye-ESG ye-TechMetals Global, umkhiqizi omkhulu we-polysilicon. “Sihlola ngokucophelela abahlinzeki bethu bamatshe e-silica – hhayi nje kuphela ngobumsulwa, kodwa nasekuphathweni kwamanzi, ukususwa kothuli, izinhlelo zokuvuselela umhlaba, kanye nokuzibandakanya komphakathi. Iziqinisekiso zemboni yezobuchwepheshe eziluhlaza zincike ochungechungeni lokunikezwa oluhlanzekile olubuyela emuva ebusweni bemigodi. Abathengi kanye nabatshalizimali bayakufuna lokho.”
Ikusasa: Ukusungula Izinto Ezintsha Nokuntuleka Kwazo?
Izazi ze-geology ezifana noSarah Chen zisezintanjeni eziphambili. Ukuhlola kuqhubekela phambili emingceleni emisha, okuhlanganisa izindawo ezijulile kanye nezakhiwo ezazinganakwa ngaphambili. Ukuphinda kusetshenziswe i-silicon kusuka kumaphaneli elanga kanye ne-elekthronikhi aphelayo kuya ngokuya kuthandwa kodwa kusalokhu kuyinselele futhi okwamanje kunikeza ingxenye encane kakhulu yesidingo.
“Kunenani elilinganiselwe letshe le-silica elisebenza kahle ngokwezomnotho, elihlanzekile kakhulu elitholakala ngobuchwepheshe bamanje,” kuxwayisa uChen, esula umjuluko ebunzini lakhe njengoba ilanga lase-Australia lishaya phansi. “Ukuthola amadiphozithi amasha ahlangabezana nezilinganiso zobumsulwa ngaphandle kwezindleko zokucubungula zezinkanyezi kuya kuba nzima. Leli dwala… alinamkhawulo. Kudingeka siliphathe njengomthombo wamasu ngempela.”
Njengoba ilanga lishona phezu kwemayini yaseBroken Hill, liveza izithunzi ezinde phezu kwezinqwaba ze-silica ezimhlophe ezikhazimulayo, ubukhulu bomsebenzi bugcizelela iqiniso elijulile. Ngaphansi komsindo we-AI kanye nokukhanya kwamaphaneli elanga kukhona itshe elithobekile nelidala. Ubumsulwa balo bulawula ijubane lentuthuko yethu kwezobuchwepheshe, okwenza ukufuna komhlaba wonke itshe le-silica elisezingeni eliphezulu kube ngenye yezindaba zezimboni ezibaluleke kakhulu, noma zingachazwanga kahle, zesikhathi sethu.
Isikhathi sokuthunyelwe: Julayi-07-2025