Utilizing desert sand as raw material for manufacturing silica-based materials and byproducts

Mineral exploitation, product manufacturing, and desertification are major challenges for achieving sustainable development in environmental and resource management. This study proposed a technology of utilizing desert sand to manufacturing silica-based materials and byproducts that can help in economizing mineral and land resources and protecting environment, while promoting desert restoration. The necessity, feasibility, issues, countermeasures, and prospects were elaborated in terms of the characteristics of desert sand, access to required raw materials, approaches and availability of manufacturing technologies, products, environmental response, desert restoration, and desert economics. Utilizing desert sand to manufacturing various silica-based materials and byproducts demonstrates the potential to overcome the limitations associated with traditional methods that mainly rely on high-quality quartz sand and clay. This study lays the strategies for helping researchers to further study the sustainable technologies and materials, government and organizations to make policy decision, and enterprises to conduct productions using desert sand.