I-BROKEN HILL, e-Ostreliya – Julayi 7, 2025– Embindini weNew South Wales etshiswe lilanga, ingcali yejografi uSarah Chen ujonge ngenyameko isampulu yesiseko esitsha esahlulwe. Ilitye likhazimla, lifana neglasi, linobume obufana neswekile. “Yiloo nto ilungileyo,” utsho embombozela, ebonakala ngathi ulwaneliseko olunqumla uthuli. “I-99.3% SiO₂. Le vein ingabaleka iikhilomitha.” UChen akafuni igolide okanye umhlaba onqabileyo; ufuna iminerali ebaluleke ngakumbi, kodwa edla ngokunganakwa, yemizi-mveliso: ubunyulu obuphezuluilitye lesilika, isiseko sexesha lethu lobuchwepheshe.
Okungaphezulu Kwentlabathi Nje
Idla ngokubizwa ngokuba yi-quartzite okanye ilitye lesanti elicocekileyo kakhulu, ilitye le-silica lilitye lendalo elenziwe ngokuyintloko yi-silicon dioxide (SiO₂). Nangona isanti ye-silica ifumana ingqalelo engakumbi, ikumgangatho ophezulu.ilitye lesilikaIidipozithi zibonelela ngeenzuzo ezikhethekileyo: uzinzo olukhulu lwejoloji, ukungcola okuncinci, kwaye, kwezinye iimeko, imithamo emikhulu efanelekileyo kwimisebenzi yokwemba emikhulu, yexesha elide. Ayintle, kodwa indima yayo ibalulekile.
“Ihlabathi lanamhlanje lisebenzisa i-silicon,” ucacisa uGqr. Arjun Patel, isazinzulu sezinto ezisetyenziswa kwiSingapore Institute of Technology. “Ukusuka kwi-chip efowunini yakho ukuya kwi-solar panel eluphahleni lwakho, iglasi efestileni yakho, kunye nentambo ye-fiber optic ehambisa ezi ndaba - konke kuqala nge-silicon ecocekileyo kakhulu. Kwaye eyona nto iphambili nengabizi kakhulu ye-silicon yi-silica stone ecocekileyo kakhulu. Ngaphandle kwayo, yonke iteknoloji kunye ne-green ecosystem yamandla iyayeka.”
Ukukhawuleza kweHlabathi: Imithombo kunye nemingeni
Ukuzingela iprimiyamuilitye lesilikaiyanda kwihlabathi liphela. Iidipozithi ezibalulekileyo zifumaneka kwi:
Ostreliya:Iingingqi ezifana neBroken Hill kunye nePilbara ziqhayisa ngezakhiwo ezinkulu zequartzite zakudala, ezixatyiswayo ngenxa yokuqina kwazo kunye nomxholo omncinci wesinyithi. Iinkampani ezifana ne-Australian Silica Quartz Ltd. (ASQ) ziyanda imisebenzi ngokukhawuleza.
Amazwe Amanyene:Iintaba zeAppalachian, ingakumbi iindawo eziseWest Virginia nasePennsylvania, zinezinto ezininzi zequartzite. I-Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. isandula ukubhengeza iziphumo zovavanyo ezithembisayo ezivela kwiprojekthi yabo ephambili eWest Virginia, igxininisa amandla ayo okuvelisa i-silicon ekumgangatho welanga.
Brazil:Iintsalela ze-quartzite ezityebileyo kwiphondo laseMinas Gerais zingumthombo ophambili, nangona iingxaki zeziseko zophuhliso ngamanye amaxesha zithintela ukukhutshelwa kwenkunkuma.
IScandinavia:INorway neSweden zineendawo zokugcina imali ezikumgangatho ophezulu, ezithandwa ngabavelisi betekhnoloji baseYurophu ngenxa yemixokelelwane yokubonelela emfutshane nethembekileyo.
iTshayina:Nangona ingumvelisi omkhulu, kukho inkxalabo malunga nemigangatho yokusingqongileyo kunye nokungaguquguquki kwamanqanaba okucoceka kwezinye iimigodi ezincinci, nto leyo eqhuba abathengi bamazwe ngamazwe ukuba bafune ezinye iindlela.
“Ukhuphiswano lunamandla,” utshilo uLars Bjornson, i-CEO yeNordic Silica Minerals. “Kwiminyaka elishumi eyadlulayo, i-silica yayiyeyona nto ithengiswa kakhulu. Namhlanje, iinkcukacha ziqinile kakhulu. Asithengisi nje ilitye; sithengisa isiseko see-wafers ze-silicon ezicocekileyo kakhulu. Izinto ezilandelelanayo ezifana ne-boron, i-phosphorus, okanye nentsimbi kumanqanaba e-parts-per-million zinokuba yintlekele kwisivuno se-semiconductor. Abathengi bethu bafuna ukuqinisekiswa kwejoloji kunye nokulungiswa okungqongqo.”
Ukusuka kwiQuarry ukuya kwiChip: Uhambo lokuCoca
Ukuguqula ilitye le-silica eliqinileyo libe yinto ecocekileyo efunekayo kubuchwepheshe kubandakanya inkqubo enzima nesebenzisa amandla amaninzi:
Ukumba kunye nokutyumza:Iibhloko ezinkulu zikhutshwa, ngokudla ngokuqhumisa okulawulwayo kwimigodi evulekileyo, emva koko zityunyuzwe zibe ziingceba ezincinci, ezifanayo.
Inzuzo:Ilitye elicoliweyo liyahlanjwa, lahlulwe ngemagnethi, kwaye liyadada ukuze kususwe uninzi lwezinto ezingcolisayo ezifana nodongwe, i-feldspar, kunye neeminerali ezineentsimbi.
Ukucubungula Ubushushu Obuphezulu:Iziqwenga ze-quartz ezicociweyo emva koko zitshiswa kakhulu. Kwii-arc oven ezingaphantsi komhlaba, zisabela kwimithombo yekhabhoni (njenge-coke okanye iitships zomthi) ukuze zivelise i-silicon ye-metallurgical-grade (MG-Si). Le yimpahla eluhlaza yee-alloys ze-aluminium kunye nezinye iiseli zelanga.
Ukuhlanjululwa Okugqwesileyo:Kwizixhobo ze-elektroniki (iitships ze-semiconductor) kunye neeseli zelanga ezisebenzayo kakhulu, i-MG-Si iphuculwa ngakumbi. I-Siemens Process okanye ii-fluidized bed reactors ziguqula i-MG-Si ibe yigesi ye-trichlorosilane, emva koko inyibilikiswe ibe msulwa kakhulu ize ibekwe njengee-polysilicon ingots. Ezi ingots zinqunyulwa zibe zii-wafers ezincinci kakhulu eziba yintliziyo yee-microchips kunye neeseli zelanga.
Amandla Okuqhuba: I-AI, iLanga, kunye nokuZinza
Ukwanda kwemfuno kukhuthazwa ziinguqu ezenzeka ngaxeshanye:
Ukwanda kwe-AI:Ii-semiconductors eziphambili, ezifuna ii-wafers ze-silicon ezicocekileyo ngakumbi, ziinjini zobukrelekrele bokwenziwa. Amaziko edatha, ii-AI chips, kunye nekhompyutha esebenza kakuhle zizinto ezingabizi kakhulu.
Ukwandiswa kwamandla elanga:Amaphulo ehlabathi akhuthaza amandla avuselelekayo anyuse imfuno yeepaneli ze-photovoltaic (PV). I-silicon ecocekileyo kakhulu ibalulekile kwiiseli zelanga ezisebenzayo. I-International Energy Agency (IEA) iqikelela ukuba umthamo we-PV yelanga uza kuphindaphindeka kathathu ngo-2030, nto leyo ebeka uxinzelelo olukhulu kwikhonkco lobonelelo lwe-silicon.
Ukwenziwa Kwemveliso Okuphambili:I-quartz exutywe ngobunyulu obuphezulu, ephuma kwilitye le-silica, ibalulekile kwii-crucibles ezisetyenziswa ekukhuleni kwekristale ye-silicon, kwi-optics ekhethekileyo, kwi-labware yobushushu obuphezulu, nakwizixhobo zokwenza i-semiconductor.
Intambo eqinileyo yozinzo
Olu phuhliso alunazo iingxaki ezibalulekileyo kwezendalo nakwezentlalo. Ukwembiwa kwe-silica, ingakumbi imisebenzi yemigodi evulekileyo, kutshintsha imbonakalo yomhlaba kwaye kusebenzisa amanzi amaninzi. Ulawulo lothuli lubaluleke kakhulu ngenxa yengozi yokuphefumla ye-crystalline silica (i-silicosis). Iinkqubo zokucoca ezisebenzisa amandla amaninzi zinegalelo kwi-carbon footprints.
“Ukufumana ulwazi olunenkathalo kubaluleke kakhulu,” ugxininisa uMaria Lopez, intloko ye-ESG yeTechMetals Global, umvelisi omkhulu we-polysilicon. “Sihlola ababoneleli bethu bamatye esilica ngokungqongqo – kungekuphela nje ngobunyulu, kodwa nakulawulo lwamanzi, ukucima uthuli, izicwangciso zokuvuselela umhlaba, kunye nokubandakanyeka koluntu. Iziqinisekiso eziluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kushishino lwetekhnoloji zixhomekeke kuthungelwano lokubonelela olucocekileyo olubuyela ebusweni bemigodi. Abathengi kunye nabatyali-mali bayayifuna loo nto.”
Ikamva: Ubuchule kunye nokunqongophala kwezinto?
Iingcali zejografi ezifana noSarah Chen zikwimigca engaphambili. Uphando lungena kwimida emitsha, kuquka iindawo ezinzulu kunye neefom ezingakhange ziqwalaselwe ngaphambili. Ukuphinda kusetyenziswe i-silicon evela kwiiphaneli zelanga kunye ne-elektroniki eziphelayo kuya kuthandwa kodwa kusaqhubeka kungumngeni kwaye okwangoku kubonelela ngenani elincinci leemfuno.
“Kukho ilitye le-silica elinobunyulu obuphezulu kakhulu nelifikelelekayo ngetekhnoloji yangoku,” ulumkisa uChen, esula umbilo ebunzini lakhe njengoko ilanga lase-Australia litshona. “Ukufumana iidiphozithi ezintsha ezihlangabezana neempawu zobunyulu ngaphandle kweendleko zokucubungula izinto ezingaqhelekanga kuya kusiba nzima. Eli litye… alinasiphelo. Kufuneka siliphathe njengesixhobo esibalulekileyo ngokwenene.”
Njengoko ilanga litshona phezu komgodi waseBroken Hill, liphosa izithunzi ezinde phezu kweengqokelela zesilika ezimhlophe ezikhazimlayo, ubungakanani bomsebenzi bugxininisa inyaniso enzulu. Ngaphantsi kwengxolo ye-AI kunye nokukhanya kweephaneli zelanga kukho ilitye elithobekileyo nelidala. Ubunyulu balo bulawula isantya senkqubela yethu kwezobuchwepheshe, nto leyo eyenza ukufuna ilitye lesilika elikumgangatho ophezulu kwihlabathi liphela libe lelona bali libalulekileyo, nangona lingakhankanywanga kangako, lezoshishino kwixesha lethu.
Ixesha leposi: Julayi-07-2025