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Critical node· Silicon · Critical anchor
High-purity quartz, Spruce Pine
Caroline du Nord, United States35.91°N 82.06°W
computed criticality18/100
reading
≈70–90% of the world's high-purity quartz (crucibles)
2024Fault line
Nearly every crucible in which silicon is melted depends on the ultra-pure quartz of a single Appalachian valley. Hurricane Helene (September 2024) halted extraction for several weeks, the world barely noticed, and the chain held on inventory. An opaque industry, an approximate figure.
Actors
Sibelco (Spruce Pine)
The Quartz Corp (Spruce Pine)
Feeds 1
300 mm wafers, Shin-Etsu & SUMCOSilicon↗Shocks endured
Hurricane Helene shuts down Spruce PineSep 27, 2024 · epicentre↗Sources