The Birth of China's First Quartz Glass and Its Technological Evolution

In 1955, China's *Prospective Plan for Scientific and Technological Development (1956-1967)* identified 57 key research tasks critical to national economic and defense construction. Among these, Task 26 ("Pilot Production of New Silicate Products") and Task 40 ("Establishment of Semiconductor Technology") included the development of quartz glass. This mission was assigned to the predecessor of the China Building Materials Academy (CBMA)—the National Comprehensive Building Materials Research Institute.

Milestones in Quartz Glass Development

1957: China successfully developed its first opaque quartz glass, marking the beginning of the nation’s quartz glass industry.

1958: Building on this achievement, China produced its first transparent quartz glass.

1966: CBMA’s quartz glass research group formulated and issued multiple industry standards (e.g., JC 99-66, JC 100-66), later revised to meet evolving production and application demands.

1987–1993: To meet aerospace needs, Gu Zhen’an, then director of CBMA’s National Quartz Glass Quality Supervision Center, led the development of radiation-resistant quartz glass capable of withstanding cosmic rays without darkening.

1997–2001: Faced with the challenge of producing large-diameter quartz glass (Φ300mm+), Gu Zhen’an and Wang Yufen (then director of CBMA’s Quartz Institute) pioneered China’s first vertical chemical vapor deposition (CVD) furnace. By November 2001, they successfully synthesized a 23 kg, Φ320mm high-purity quartz glass ingot.

2008 onward: Wang Yufen’s team advanced vertical CVD technology, achieving Φ600mm+ high-quality quartz glass ingots and boosting deposition efficiency from 150g/h to over 400g/h, enabling energy savings and emissions reduction.

Applications in High-Tech Industries

Semiconductors: Quartz glass is critical for etching, diffusion, and oxidation processes in chip manufacturing, while synthetic quartz glass supports high-end semiconductor lithography and photomask substrates.

Aerospace: Quartz glass fiber composites excel in high strength, low thermal expansion, and superior dielectric properties, making them ideal for high-temperature, wave-transparent aerospace components.

Optics: Synthetic quartz glass enables high-precision lenses, prisms, and laser systems due to its thermal stability, purity, and optical transparency.

Fiber Optics: Quartz glass support rods are essential for fiber preform production and drawing processes.

Future Outlook
With rising demand from semiconductors and aerospace, quartz glass technology continues to evolve. At the 2023 National Quartz Conference & Exhibition (November 16–17, Bengbu, Anhui), Wang Yufen, Professor-level Senior Engineer at CBMA’s Quartz and Specialty Glass Research Institute, will present "Quartz Glass Manufacturing Processes, Properties, and Applications", detailing advancements in preparation techniques and high-end applications.

This journey reflects China’s relentless innovation in overcoming technical barriers and securing a leadership role in quartz glass technology.