Silicon Metal

Silicon metal has a silver-grey or dark-grey surface with a metallic lustre. It offers a high melting point, strong heat resistance, high electrical resistivity and excellent oxidation resistance.

Silicon metal is classified as a semi-metal or metalloid because it shares properties of both metals and non-metals. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust after oxygen and is naturally found mainly in the form of silicon dioxide and silicates. It occurs rarely in pure form and derives its name from the Latin word silex, meaning flint.

Properties:

Metallurgical silicon metal is widely used as an alloying agent in the aluminium industry because it helps improve the strength and performance of aluminium alloys.

Demand from the aluminium sector has increased steadily in recent years, supported by the growing use of aluminium in structural engineering, aircraft manufacturing and the automotive industry. Aluminium alloys are lighter and more corrosion-resistant than carbon steel and are produced by adding elements such as silicon, copper, zinc, magnesium and manganese.

Production:

Metallurgical silicon metal is commercially produced through the carbothermic reduction of silica, usually quartz, in an electric arc furnace using carbon electrodes. During this process, the temperature in the main reaction zone exceeds 1,800°C.

Commercial metallurgical-grade silicon metal typically contains around 99% silicon. Major producing countries include China, Russia, Brazil, Norway, South Africa and the USA.

Application:

• In the chemical industry, silicon metal is used for producing silicon compounds as well as silicon wafers used in photovoltaic solar cells and electronic semiconductors.
• In the aluminium industry, silicon metal is used to improve the already useful properties of aluminum. Silicon can improve its castability, hardness and strength.

Chemical Composition: