What are the raw materials for manufactured sand? What are the standards?

Not all materials are suitable for producing manufactured sand. Specific requirements exist for raw materials, such as:

1. Raw materials for manufactured sand production must meet certain compressive strength requirements. Materials with potential alkali-aggregate reaction activity should not be used. Clean, hard raw materials free of weak particles are preferable.

2. Mines: Avoid using mines with thick overburden layers, high clay content in interlayers, or poor-quality rock with layered, sheet-like structures.

3. Exposed rock layers: If rocks are covered with soil or contain weathered layers, these should be removed before sand production.

Common raw materials suitable for manufactured sand production:

Pebbles, limestone, granite, basalt, andesite, sandstone, quartzite, diabase, tuff, marble, rhyolite, iron ore; construction waste, tailings, tunnel debris, etc.

1. Sandstone: A sedimentary rock containing over 50% sand grains with stable structure, primarily composed of quartz and feldspar. It is a common raw material for manufactured sand production. However, due to high stone powder content during crushing, selecting sand production line equipment with superior dust removal efficiency is essential when using it as raw material.

2. Quartz Sandstone: Stone material with over 90% quartz content. It achieves excellent results in both strength and particle shape, making it a widely used raw material for manufactured sand production in the market.

3. Pebbles: A pure natural stone material that is non-toxic, odorless, colorfast, hard in texture, and has good color. The manufactured sand produced from it is not only an ideal green building material but also a better alternative to natural sand.

4. Slag: An industrial waste material widely used as a raw material for manufactured sand production. It offers abundant sources and low processing costs.

5. Construction Waste: Generated in large quantities annually in China, construction waste—including concrete blocks, crushed stones, and brick fragments—is commonly processed into sand and aggregate for construction and highway industries. Using it as raw material for manufactured sand reduces raw material investment costs.

6. Limestone: In sand and gravel production lines, limestone can serve as raw material for both sand and gravel, while its powder can be reused.

7. Basalt: Sand made from basalt, when mixed into concrete, reduces concrete weight while maintaining strength. It also offers soundproofing and thermal insulation properties, making it an excellent aggregate for lightweight concrete in high-rise buildings.

8. Granite: Granite with high quartz content and low sulfide content is an excellent material for sand production, though the issue of powder generation must be addressed.

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