Recovery of Silica From Impure Sand Deposits

Introduction No commercial deposits of silica sand are known to occur in British Columbia, so all requirements for foundry and other uses must be imported. During the war, nearly 5,000 tons per year were used, all originating in Illinois and delivered to local consumers for about $12.00 per ton. Present requirements are somewhat less, but the cost is still of the same order. The relatively high cost of silica sand in British Columbia is not only a serious item for present consumers, but might be a deterrent to the establishment of a glass industry, should this be contemplated at any time. The present investigation was undertaken in an attempt to provide a cheaper source of silica sand within the Province. In 1936, a large number of beach and bank sand deposits in the lower coastal region of British Columbia were examined by the British Columbia Department of Mines, and samples were analyzed chemically and mineralogically. The deposits over the whole area proved remarkably uniform in mineral composition, consisting essentially of quartz, feldspar, ferromagnesian minerals, rock fragments, and various accessory minerals, and differing only in the relative proportions of the various constituents. In no case did the quartz content of any sand exceed about 40 percent and the average was of the order of 20 to 30 percent.