The most common form of industrially produced silica is silica gel (over 99.5% SiO2 purity), formed by the gelation of silicic acid and used as desiccants for the preservation of food and precision equipment such as semiconductors, deodorants, agricultural fertilizers, and building moisture absorbents.

Silica has a wide range of industrial applications, including colloidal silica used as abrasive agents for the polishing of electronic circuit materials and silicon wafers, fused quartz formed by melting and cooling quartz sand and silica stone, materials used to manufacture heat-resistant equipment, laboratory instruments, and optical fibers, enamel, silicate cement, pottery, carbon substitute for tire production, liquid chromatography carriers, surface treatment agents for surfaces such as light bulbs and CRT monitors, and preventing newspaper printing ink penetration.