Join us for an insightful episode diving deep into High-Purity Quartz (HPQ), a mineral often overlooked but crucial for modern technology and Australia's journey to Net Zero. We discuss why silicon, derived from HPQ, is a critical mineral globally and locally, its complex journey from rock to high-tech applications like solar cells and semiconductors, and the pioneering work by Geoscience Australia to unlock Australia's HPQ potential.
High-Purity Quartz (HPQ) is the only naturally occurring, economically viable source of silicon, a critical mineral essential for technologies like semiconductors and solar cells. As global demand for clean energy accelerates, HPQ's role is growing rapidly, with demand for quartz feedstock expected to increase fortyfold by 2050. Producing high-tech silicon from HPQ is both material- and energy-intensive, requiring extensive beneficiation and purification processes to meet exacting purity standards—often exceeding 99.995% SiO₂. Not all quartz qualifies as HPQ, with economically viable deposits being rare and defined by extremely low impurity levels. These deposits are found in various geological settings globally, including pegmatites and hydrothermal veins, with Australia holding significant untapped potential but only one active operation. To address this, Geoscience Australia, through its Critical Minerals R&D Hub, is advancing a national HPQ prospectivity map and developing analytical tools to aid exploration. Their "Explorers Toolbox" aims to equip industry with cost-effective techniques and early indicators of quartz quality. With its abundant resources and growing expertise, Australia has a strategic opportunity to emerge as a key global supplier of HPQ and bolster its domestic silicon production for clean technology markets.Sources: