IBROKEN HILL, eOstreliya – nge-7 kaJulayi, ngo-2025-Ezinzulu kwindawo egqats' ubhobhoyi yaseNew South Wales, igqala lenzululwazi yokwakheka komhlaba uSarah Chen ujonga ngenyameko kwisampulu engundoqo esandula ukuqhekeka. Ilitye liyakhazimla, liphantse lifane neglasi, linemibala eyohlukileyo yeswekile. “Yinto entle leyo,” umbombozela embombozela, ebonisa ulwaneliseko oluphuma eluthulini. “99.3% SiO₂. Lo mthambo unokubaleka iikhilomitha.” I-Chen ayizingeli igolide okanye umhlaba onqabileyo; ukhangela iminerali ekhula ngamandla, kodwa ehlala ingahoywa, ekwimizi-mveliso: ubunyulu obuphezuluilitye le-silica, isiseko sexesha lethu leteknoloji.
Ngakumbi kuneSanti nje
Ihlala ibizwa ngokuba yi-quartzite okanye ilitye lesanti esulungekileyo, ilitye le-silica lilitye elenzeka ngokwendalo eliqulunqwe ikakhulu yisilicon dioxide (SiO₂). Ngelixa isanti ye-silica ifumana ingqwalasela engaphezulu, inqanaba eliphezuluilitye le-silicaiidiphozithi zinika uncedo olwahlukileyo: uzinzo olukhulu lwejoloji, ukungcola okusezantsi, kwaye, kwezinye iimeko, umthamo omkhulu olungele imisebenzi yemigodi yexesha elide. Ayinabukhazikhazi, kodwa indima yayo ibalulekile.
UGqr. Arjun Patel, isazinzulu kwiSingapore Institute of Technology uthi: “Ihlabathi lanamhlanje lisebenza ngesilicon. "Ukusuka kwichip kwifowuni yakho ukuya kwipaneli yelanga kuphahla lwakho, iglasi ekwifestile yakho, kunye nentambo yefiber optic ehambisa ezi ndaba - zonke ziqala ngesilicon esulungekileyo. Kwaye eyona ndlela isebenzayo, inexabiso eliphambili le-silicon lilitye le-silica elicocekileyo. Ngaphandle kwayo, yonke itekhnoloji kunye ne-ecosystem yamandla aluhlaza iyama."
IGlobal Rush: Imithombo kunye nemingeni
Ukuzingela i-premiumilitye le-silicaliya lisanda kwihlabathi jikelele. Iidiphozithi eziphambili zifumaneka kwi:
Ostreliya:Imimandla efana neBroken Hill kunye nePilbara ziqhayisa ngobuchule obukhulu, obudala be-quartzite, buxatyiswe ngokungaguquguquki kunye nomxholo ophantsi wentsimbi. Iinkampani ezifana ne-Australian Silica Quartz Ltd. (ASQ) zandisa imisebenzi ngokukhawuleza.
Amazwe Amanyene:Iintaba zeAppalachian, ngakumbi iindawo eziseWest Virginia nasePennsylvania, zibambe izixhobo ezibalulekileyo zequartzite. I-Spruce Ridge Resources Ltd. kutshanje ibhengeze iziphumo zovavanyo ezithembisayo ezivela kwiprojekthi yazo yeflegi eWest Virginia, iqaqambisa amandla ayo okuvelisa i-silicon yomgangatho welanga.
Brazil:Iidiphozithi ezityebileyo zequartzite kwilizwe laseMinas Gerais zingumthombo omkhulu, nangona imiceli mngeni yeziseko zophuhliso ngamanye amaxesha iphazamisa ukutsalwa.
eScandinavia:INorway neSweden zineediphozithi ezikumgangatho ophezulu, ezithandwa ngabavelisi bobuchwephesha baseYurophu kuthungelwano olufutshane, oluthembekileyo ngakumbi.
eTshayina:Ngelixa umvelisi omkhulu, iinkxalabo ziqhubeka malunga nemigangatho yokusingqongileyo kunye nokuhambelana kwamanqanaba okucoceka kweminye imigodi emincinci, eqhuba abathengi bamazwe ngamazwe ukuba bafune enye imithombo.
"Ukhuphiswano lunzima," utshilo uLars Bjornson, i-CEO yeNordic Silica Minerals. "Kwiminyaka elishumi edlulileyo, i-silica yayiyeyona mveliso yorhwebo. Namhlanje, iinkcukacha zinzima kakhulu. Asithengisi amatye kuphela; sithengisa isiseko se-silicone wafers ezicocekileyo. Landela izinto ezifana ne-boron, i-phosphorus, okanye i-iron kumanqanaba-ngesigidi-ngesigidi kunokuba yintlekele kwi-semiconductor izivuno kunye nokufuna izivuno ezithile.
Ukusuka kwiQuarry ukuya kwiChip: Uhambo lokuCoca
Ukuguqula ilitye le-silica elirhaxakaxa libe yimathiriyeli efunekayo kubuchwephesha kubandakanya inkqubo entsonkothileyo, enamandla amakhulu:
Ukwembiwa kwemigodi nokutyumza:Iibhloko ezinkulu zitsalwa, rhoqo ngokuqhushumba okulawulwayo kwimingxuma evulekileyo, emva koko ityunyuzwe ibe ngamaqhekeza amancinci, afanayo.
Uncedo:Ilitye elityumkileyo liyahlanjwa, lihlukaniswe ngumagnetic, kwaye lijikeleze ukuze lisuse ukungcola okuninzi njengodongwe, i-feldspar, kunye neeminerali ezithwala isinyithi.
Ukulungiswa kobushushu obuphezulu:Amaqhekeza ahlambulukileyo e-quartz emva koko aphantsi kobushushu obukhulu. Kwimibhobho ye-arc ephantsi kwamanzi, isabela ngemithombo yekhabhoni (efana ne-coke okanye i-wood chips) ukuvelisa i-silicon ye-metallurgical-grade (MG-Si). Le yimathiriyeli ekrwada yeealloyi ze-aluminium kunye nezinye iiseli zelanga.
Ukucoca ngokugqithisileyo:Kwi-electronics (ii-chips ze-semiconductor) kunye neeseli ze-solar ezisebenza kakuhle, i-MG-Si iphinda iphuculwe ngakumbi. Inkqubo ye-Siemens okanye i-reactors bed reactors iguqula i-MG-Si ibe yigesi ye-trichlorosilane, ethi emva koko idilizwe ukucoceka okugqithisileyo kwaye ifakwe njenge-polysilicon ingots. Ezi ingots zisikwe kwii-wafers ezibhityileyo kakhulu eziba yintliziyo yee-microchips kunye neeseli zelanga.
Imikhosi yokuqhuba: I-AI, iSolar, kunye noZinzo
Ukunyuka kwemfuno kuphenjelelwa ziinguqu ngaxeshanye:
I-AI Boom:Ii-semiconductors eziphucukileyo, ezifuna ii-wafers zesilicon ezihlala zinyulu, ziinjini zobukrelekrele bokwenziwa. Amaziko edatha, iitshiphusi ze-AI, kunye nekhompyuter ephezulu yokusebenza ngabathengi abanganelisekiyo.
Ukwandiswa kwamandla eSola:Amanyathelo ehlabathi atyhala amandla avuselelekayo anyuse imfuno yeephaneli ze-photovoltaic (PV). I-silicon ecocekileyo ibalulekile kwiiseli zelanga ezisebenzayo. I-Arhente yezaMandla yaMazwe ngaMazwe (IEA) iprojekthi yesolar PV umthamo uya kuphinda kathathu ngowama-2030, ibeka uxinzelelo olukhulu kwikhonkco lokubonelela ngesilicon.
uVeliso oluPhezulu:I-quartz ecocekileyo edityanisiweyo ephezulu, ethathwe kwilitye le-silica, ibalulekile kwiziphambuka ezisetyenziswa ekukhuleni kwekristale ye-silicon, i-optics ekhethekileyo, i-labware yobushushu obuphezulu, kunye nezixhobo zokwenza i-semiconductor.
I-Sustainability Tightrope
Le boom ayinayo inkxalabo ebalulekileyo yendalo kunye nentlalo. Ukwembiwa kwe-silica, ingakumbi ukusebenza kwemingxuma evulekileyo, kuguqula imbonakalo yomhlaba kwaye kutye isixa esikhulu samanzi. Ulawulo lothuli lubalulekile ngenxa yengozi yokuphefumla ye-crystalline silica (silicosis). Iinkqubo zokuhlanjululwa ngamandla kwamandla zifaka isandla kwiinyawo zekhabhoni.
"Ukufumana uxanduva kubaluleke kakhulu," ugxininisa uMaria Lopez, intloko ye-ESG yeTechMetals Global, umvelisi omkhulu wepolysilicon. “Sibaphicotha ngokungqongqo ababoneleli belitye le-silica bethu – hayi nje ngobusulungekileyo, kodwa kulawulo lwamanzi, ukucinezelwa kothuli, izicwangciso zokubuyiselwa kwisimo sangaphambili somhlaba, kunye nothethathethwano noluntu.Iziqinisekiso zohlaza zeshishini lobugcisa zixhomekeke kunikezelo olucocekileyo olubuyela ekwarini.Abathengi nabatyali-mali bayayifuna.”
Ikamva: Ukuveliswa kwezinto ezintsha kunye nokuNqotywa?
Iingcali ze-Geologists ezifana noSarah Chen ziphambili. Uphononongo lutyhalela kwimida emitsha, kubandakanywa iidiphozithi ezinzulu kunye nolwakhiwo obelutyeshelwe ngaphambili. Ukurisayikilishwa kwakhona kwe-silicon ukusuka kwiiphaneli zelanga zokuphela kobomi kunye nee-elektroniki ziyazuza kodwa zihlala zingumngeni kwaye okwangoku zibonelela kuphela iqhezu lemfuno.
“Kukho isixa esilinganiselweyo samatye esilica anokufikeleleka ngokwezoqoqosho afikelelekayo ngobuchwephesha bangoku,” ulumkisa uChen, esosula umbilo ebunzi njengoko ilanga laseOstreliya libetha. "Ukufumana iidiphozithi ezintsha ezihlangabezana nemilinganiselo yococeko ngaphandle kweendleko zokusetyenzwa kweenkwenkwezi kuya kuba nzima. Eli litye ... alinasiphelo. Kufuneka siliphathe njengesixhobo sobuchule esiyiyo ngokwenene."
Njengoko ilanga litshona phezu komgodi weBroken Hill, lisenza ithunzi elide phezu kweesitokhwe ezimhlophe zesilica, ubungakanani bomsebenzi bugxininisa inyaniso enzulu. Ngaphantsi kwe-buzz ye-AI kunye nokukhanya kweepaneli zelanga kulele ilitye elithobekileyo, lakudala. Ukucoceka kwayo kuchaza isantya senkqubela phambili yetekhnoloji, okwenza ukuba umnqweno wehlabathi jikelele welitye lesilica elikumgangatho ophezulu libe lelinye lawona mabali abaluleke kakhulu, ukuba angaphantsi, amabali amashishini exesha lethu.
Ixesha lokuposa: Jul-07-2025