Natural sand refers to rock particles formed under natural conditions with a particle size of less than 5 mm. There are four main types of sand: river sand, lake sand, mountain sand, and sea sand. River sand and lake sand are used in large quantities in construction and other fields due to their excellent quality and relatively convenient acquisition. They are widely used in projects such as concrete preparation.

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With the increasing shortage of natural sand such as river sand, the application of artificial sand is becoming more and more widespread. During the construction of the Baihetan Hydropower Station, which is second only to the Three Gorges Hydropower Station in scale, artificial sand was used on a large scale.

Artificial sand can be used on a large scale in national-level large projects. On the one hand, it is due to the demand for ecological and environmental protection. Large-scale mining of natural sand is easy to damage the ecology. On the other hand, artificial sand has significant advantages. In actual use, its performance is not inferior to natural sand at all, and it can fully meet the high standards of engineering construction.

The raw materials of artificial sand are usually granite, basalt, river pebbles, limestone, construction solid waste, etc. The hardness, corrosion resistance and other parameter values of different raw materials are different. For example, granite is a rock with a higher hardness coefficient, and limestone is a rock with a softer texture.

Although the finished sand made from different raw materials will be different, overall, machine-made sand still has great advantages:

1. The quality is guaranteed, the source of raw materials is fixed, the production line is mechanized, and the particle shape and size can be adjusted and controlled according to needs, which ensures the stability of product quality.

2. The finished product is of good quality, with a small content of impurities such as soil, high surface energy and hydrophilicity, and complete grading.

3. The raw materials are extensive, can be obtained locally, and can be produced using various mineral resources or even waste resources.

4. The price is advantageous. Judging from the quotations from all over the country, machine-made sand is cheaper per ton than river sand.

The main chemical component of river pebbles is silicon dioxide, followed by a small amount of iron oxide and trace elements such as manganese, copper, aluminum, and magnesium. The main characteristics of river pebbles are hard texture, pressure resistance, wear resistance, and stable chemical properties.

The stone powder content of river pebbles in the sand making process is relatively low, the material is stable, and the quality of the finished product can be well controlled. Therefore, the machine-made sand processed from river pebbles has excellent quality and is widely used in the construction of water conservancy and hydropower, highways, high-speed railways, bridges, airport runways, high-rise buildings, etc. in the engineering field.