Silicon metal, also known as crystalline silicon or industrial silicon, is mainly used as an additive for non-iron-based alloys.

Metallic silicon is usually classified according to the content of its three main impurities: iron, aluminum, and calcium. 441 represents the content of iron, aluminum, and calcium in metallic silicon, which are 0.4%, 0.4%, and 0.1 %.

Production process

Raw material preparation:

The main raw materials are quartz, coke, sawdust, etc. Quartz is the main source of silicon, coke is used as a reducing agent, and sawdust is used to adjust the permeability and reaction speed of the charge.

Electric furnace smelting:

The pretreated raw materials are added to the ore-arcing furnace in a certain proportion, and a large amount of electrical energy is input through the electrodes to raise the temperature in the furnace to 1800-2000℃. A reduction reaction occurs at high temperature to generate industrial silicon 441.

Refining and purification:

The industrial silicon after the furnace is refined to further remove impurities and improve the purity of silicon to meet the standard requirements of industrial silicon 441.

Industrial Silicon Metal 441

chemical composition

Silicon Metal	Grade	Chemical Composition
		Si(%)	Impurity Content
		Si(%)	Fe(%)	Al(%)	Ca(%)	P(PPM)
	97	>97.0%	≤1.5	≤0.5	≤0.3
	553	>98.5%	≤0.5	≤0.5	≤0.3	-
	441	>99.0%	≤0.4	≤0.4	≤0.1
	3303	>99.3%	≤0.3	≤0.3	≤0.03	≤50
	2502	>99.5%	≤0.25	≤0.25	≤0.02	≤40
	2202	>99.5%	≤0.2	≤0.2	≤0.02	≤40
	421	>99.2%	≤0.4	≤0.2	≤0.1	-
	411	>99.2%	≤0.4	≤0.1	≤0.1	-

Uses Of Silicon Metal

Production of silicone rubber, silicone resin, silicone oil and other silicones

Silicone rubber has good elasticity and high temperature resistance, and is used to make medical supplies, high temperature resistant gaskets, etc.Silicone resin is used in the production of insulating paint, high-temperature coatings, etc.Silicone oil is an oily substance whose viscosity is very little affected by temperature. It is used to produce high-grade lubricants, polishes, fluid springs, dielectric liquids, etc. It can also be processed into a colorless and transparent liquid and sprayed as a high-grade waterproofing agent. on building surfaces.

Manufacturing high-purity semiconductors

Modern large-scale integrated circuits are almost all made of high-purity metallic silicon, and high-purity metallic silicon is also the main raw material for the production of optical fibers. It can be said that metallic silicon has become a basic pillar industry in the information age.

Preparing alloy

Silicon-aluminum alloy is the most commonly used silicon alloy. Silicon-aluminum alloy is a strong composite deoxidizer. Replacing pure aluminum in the steelmaking process can improve the utilization rate of the deoxidizer, purify the molten steel, and improve the quality of the steel. Silicon-aluminum alloy has low density, low thermal expansion coefficient, good casting performance and anti-wear performance. Alloy castings cast with it have high impact resistance and good high-pressure densification, which can greatly increase the service life. It is commonly used in the production of aerospace vehicles. and auto parts.

Additional products of metallic silicon: including silicon powder, edge silicon, black silicon, silicon metal slag, etc. Among them, silica powder is also called silica fume, microsilica fume or silica fume. It is widely used in refractory materials and concrete industries.