(April 2015) Corruption in Brazil exists on all levels of society from the top echelons of political power (as seen in the MensalÃ£o Scandal and the Operation Car Wash and the Petrobras scandals) to the smallest municipalities.
Quartz sands, which are high in silica content, are used to make glass. When quartz sands are crushed they produce particles with sharp, angular edges that are sometimes used to make sandpaper for smoothing wood. Some quartz sand is found in the form of sandstone.
Industrial sand and gravel is used to make glass, as foundry sand and as abrasive sand. For some applications, it is the silica content (quartz) of sand that makes it so valuable. The silica itself is needed to make products such as glass. In addition, the physical properties of sand, particularly its abrasive property, make it useful for traction on icy roadways and railroads, and for sandblasting.