why silicon dioxide is suitable for lining furnaces
Chemical compounds and the reactions they undergo are my areas of knowledge and interest. Silicon dioxide is suitable for lining furnaces because of its very high melting point of 1,600 to 1,725 degrees celcius.It is so high because of the strong intermolecular forces between SiO2 molecules in the giant covalent structure comparable to that of diamond and graphite. large amount of energy is required to overcome these intermolecular forces and thus SiO2 has a high melting point. Note: no silicon-oxygen bonds are broken during melting, just intermolecular forces between SiO2 molecules.