Quartz crucible, also known as quartz sand crucible, is a crucible made by firing quartz sand, which has the advantages of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, and easy operation. It is widely used in mineral mining, smelting, distillation, chemical industry, and modern industrial production. Especially in the fields of photovoltaics and semiconductors, quartz crucibles are important containers for extracting crystalline silicon. However, during production and use, quartz crucibles are prone to deformation, which affects their normal use.

1、 Improper loading method

Surface contact state: The contact between the material on the liquid level line and the quartz crucible is in a surface contact state, which can easily cause edge hanging during the melting process, leading to deformation of the crucible.

Accumulation of crushed small particles: If the top part of the crucible is completely filled with crushed small particles, the lower part is prone to dissolve first during melting, while the upper part may be in a crystalline state. This uneven melting process can also cause deformation of the crucible.

2、 Improper melt power

High temperature: The melting point of silicon is 1420 ℃, while the general melting temperature is around 1550-1600 ℃. If the temperature of the melt is too high, the quartz crucible is prone to deformation during the melting process.

Low temperature: When the temperature of the molten material is too low, the material at the top of the crucible and the crucible wall are prone to a state of melting but not melting. When the lower material is melted, the block material with hanging edges on the upper part will pull down the quartz crucible, causing deformation.

3、 Raw material issues

High impurity content: The quality of raw materials varies greatly, with impurities much higher than those in the original polycrystalline material. The acid washing process is not perfect, which can have a significant impact on the normal use of crucibles, mainly manifested as the easy occurrence of severe crystallization.

Crystallization phenomenon: If quartz crucibles are contaminated during production, cleaning, and packaging, crystallization phenomenon will occur, causing the original thickness of the crucible to thin and the strength to decrease, making it easy to deform.

4、 Quality issues with the quartz crucible itself

Insufficient thickness: If the original thickness of the quartz crucible is too thin and the strength is not enough, it is also prone to deformation.

Staining during production: Improper operation during the production, cleaning, and packaging of quartz crucibles can also cause deformation if the crucibles are contaminated.

5、 Improper operation

Improper placement and loading: During the process of placing quartz crucibles and loading silicon materials, improper operation can cause contamination or damage to the crucibles, leading to deformation.

Improper use of thermal screen technology: Thermal screen technology is widely used in the production of solar single crystals. If the upper melting method is used in the hanging hot screen, or if the upper silicon material of the lower hanging hot screen melts and sinks, and the crucible position is not raised in time, it may cause deformation of the crucible.

6、 Other factors

The scarcity of quartz ore: The scarcity of quartz ore is the key factor restricting the supply of high-purity quartz sand, which in turn affects the production quality of quartz crucibles. The quality of quartz sand varies from different mineral sources, and there are fewer mineral sources suitable for producing quartz crucibles.

Market demand changes: With the rapid development of the photovoltaic and semiconductor industries, the demand for high-purity quartz sand and quartz crucibles continues to increase, which also puts higher demands on the production quality and stability of quartz crucibles.

There are various reasons that can cause deformation of quartz crucibles, including improper loading methods, improper melting power, raw material problems, quality issues with the quartz crucible itself, improper operation, and other factors. In order to reduce the deformation rate of quartz crucibles, it is necessary to start from these aspects, strengthen quality control and process optimization in the production process.

Luverre Quartz manufactures and sells a wide range of high quality quartz glass, including quartz tubes, quartz plates, quartz rods, quartz windows, quartz crucibles, quartz boats, quartz flanges, quartz beakers, quartz glass instruments, and more. We can meet all kinds of customized requirements for quartz glass products.