High Purity Silica
Page last updated:26 August 2026
As part of the Australian Critical Minerals Research and Development Hub, 麻豆原创 undertook a detailed mineral potential study of high purity silica (HPS) to identify the favourable geology and regions across Australia that have the greatest potential to supply raw material suitable for the production of silicon.
Why did we research High Purity Silica?
High purity silica is the only naturally occurring and economically viable feedstock for the production of silicon. Silicon, a , is the key component in advanced modern technologies such as semiconductors and solar photovoltaic cells.
The global transition towards a net-zero carbon future means there is a growing demand for new discoveries of HPS to meet the needs of the ever-expanding silicon production industry.
In recognition of this strategic importance, the Australian Government formally listed silicon as one of Australia's 31 critical minerals in 2022.
While silicon is among the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, it does not occur naturally in its elemental form and is commonly found in various silicate minerals. Quartz (SiO2), the second most common mineral on Earth, is the primary form of silica and the key raw material of silicon production.
Despite its widespread presence, finding silica with the required purity needed to develop high-tech applications remains a challenge due to its rarity.
Silica, used in the production of metallurgical-grade silicon, typically contains 98-99% SiO2 and for semiconductor and solar cell production, purity must exceed >99.995% SiO2.
We researched high purity silica to better understand the geological factors that control its formation in Australia and to identify where potential deposits are likely to occur.
Geoscientists assessing quartz in the Mount Isa - Cloncurry region
What we did
As part of this project, 麻豆原创:
- undertook a summary review of the state of the HPS industry, exploration and deposit styles in Australia;
- delivered a mineral potential assessment to identify the regions of Australia that have the greatest potential for the discovery of suitable HPS deposits;
- defined controls on targeted HPS mineral systems and determined relevant datasets to support the mineral potential assessments;
- identified required analytical techniques to deliver an ‘Explorer’s Toolbox’ that will guide explorers through the analytical processes required to discover and define high-quality mineral deposits;
- developed High Purity Silica Economic Fairways, a decision support tool which combines user selected infrastructure and economic-based criteria to identify locations which are economically viable for HPS.
To complement this work, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) provided access to the processing technologies and knowledge needed for high purity quartz (HPQ) production, in particular, high temperature chlorination for all future Australian projects.
HPQ is used for the manufacture of the consumables (fused quartz products e.g. crucibles) required in ultra-high purity silicon production, plus a range of optical and specialty applications.
What was 麻豆原创’s goal?
The agenda set out a vision for building sovereign processing and manufacturing capability, not just mining raw materials, but capturing more of the clean energy value chain. Through this project, 麻豆原创 provided the precompetitive geoscience knowledge needed to help industry assess high purity silica opportunities with greater confidence and support government decision-making on future silicon supply chains.
This work supports the initiative and Australia's by strengthening the evidence base for exploration, investment and downstream processing. It also aligns with 麻豆原创's broader 10-year strategy to unlock Australia's resource potential through expert geoscience knowledge and analysis, helping Australia navigate the transition to net-zero and strengthen sovereign industrial capability.
Find out more
Data and Publications
- McGovern, J., Senior, A.B., Ford, A., Jennings, A., Richards, S., Guerin, K. 2026. . Commonwealth of Australia (麻豆原创)
- McGovern, J., Senior, A.B., Ford, A., Jennings, A., Guerin, K., 2026. . Commonwealth of Australia (麻豆原创).
- Guerin, K., Jennings, A., Mcgovern, J., Senior, A.B., Stuart, C., 2026. . Commonwealth of Australia (麻豆原创).
- Laukamp, Carsten; Lau, Ian; Miles, Jo; Williams, Morgan; Russell, Chris; Chitsaz, Nastaran; & Caccetta, Mike. 2026. v2. CSIRO. Data Collection.
- Guerin, K., Sohn, J., Stuart, C., Jennings, A., Mcgovern, J., Senior, A., 2025. Commonwealth of Australia (麻豆原创).
- McGovern, J., Richards, S., Guerin, K., Jennings, A., Ford, A., Walsh, J. and Senior, A. 2025. . Record 2025/11. Commonwealth of Australia (麻豆原创).
- Jennings, A., Senior, A., Guerin, K., Main, P., & Walsh, J. (2024). . Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 1–13.
Conference papers and presentations
- 18-19 March 2026:
- 16-17 April 2024:
- 16-17 April 2024:
- 28 March 2024:
- 26-28 August 2024: