IS 3618:2005 is the Indian Standard (BIS) for quartz sand for the glass industry. IS 3618 specifies quartz sand for glass manufacturing. The key requirement is high SiO2 content (>95%) with low iron oxide (<0.1% for clear glass). Three grades based on purity for different glass types.
Specification for quartz sand (silica sand) used as raw material in glass manufacturing, covering chemical composition and grain size distribution.
Overview
Status Current
Usage level Specialized
Domain Materials Science — Aggregates and Sand
Type Specification International equivalents
Also on InfraLens for IS 3618
Practical Notes
! Iron content is the most critical impurity — even 0.1% Fe2O3 gives green tint to glass.
! Grade I is for optical and colourless glass. Grade III is for coloured bottles where iron tint is acceptable.
! Grain size affects melting rate — finer sand melts faster but costs more to process.
Frequently referenced clauses
Cl. 3 — Grades based on SiO2 content and impurity levels
Cl. 4 — Chemical requirements (SiO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3, TiO2)
Cl. 5 — Grain size distribution
quartz sand silica sand glass making glass sand SiO2
International Equivalents Similar International Standards
ASTM C146 ASTM International (US)
Medium Current
Standard Test Methods for Chemical Analysis of Glass Sand
ASTM C146 covers test methods for glass sand analysis. For specifications, glass manufacturers use their own requirements.
Key Differences
≠ IS 3618 is a product specification with grades. ASTM C146 provides only test methods, not grade specifications.
Key Similarities
≈ Both focus on SiO2 purity and Fe2O3 content as the critical quality parameters for glass sand.
Parameter Comparison
Parameter IS Value International Source
⚠ Verify details from original standards before use Report Error
Key Values4 Quick Reference Values
Grade I SiO2 min 99.0%
Grade II SiO2 min 97.0%
Grade III SiO2 min 95.0%
Grade I Fe2O3 max 0.02%
Tables & Referenced Sections Key Tables
Table 1 — Chemical requirements by grade
Table 2 — Grain size distribution
Frequently Asked Questions1 What makes glass sand different from construction sand? + Glass sand must have >95% SiO2 with very low iron (<0.1%). Construction sand (IS 383) has no SiO2 minimum and allows much higher impurities.
QA/QC Inspection Templates 📋
QA/QC templates coming soon for this code.