50-100cm 3303 metal silicon and 441 standard pellets available from stock

What is Silicon?

What is Silicon?

Silicon (metallurgical silicon or ferrosilicon) makes it possible to manufacture a variety of useful, efficient, and sustainable products.

Silicon - Definition and Processing

As a chemical element, silicon atoms are referred to by the symbol "Si," with an atomic number of 14 and a relative atomic mass of 28. It is the second most abundant chemical element in the Earth's crust, after oxygen. Metallurgical silicon, also known as semi-metal or metal (though strictly speaking, it is not a metal), is renowned for its semiconductor properties, playing a crucial role in the development of solar energy and electronic products, and driving the advancement of digital technology. Semiconductors do not conduct electricity well in high purity, but by adding impurities, as in metallurgical silicon, the electrical conductivity can be influenced and controlled.

Silicon in its elemental form is not found in nature. It exists in various minerals along with oxygen and other elements. Metallurgical silicon is typically produced by smelting quartz sand or quartz rock (SiO2) with low impurity content. Contrary to popular belief, metallurgical silicon cannot be produced from fine powdery sand. The quartz used in the process is usually in the size range of 5-100 millimeters. To produce metallurgical silicon, a complex process is involved that combines oxygen with carbon to produce CO, with multiple reaction steps occurring in an arc furnace. When CO gas is exposed to air, it can be collected or react with CO₂.

Due to the large amount of gas produced (CO and SiO) in this process, using porous charging materials is crucial to maximize the yield of metallurgical silicon, ensuring a uniform distribution of SiO gas. Therefore, it is common practice to add a large amount of sawdust to the electric furnace. Quartz sand cannot be used directly because it can clog the furnace. SiO gas not captured in the furnace will escape and be oxidized by air to form silicon dust (microsilica). The carbon used in the process can come from biological sources, but in principle, all types of carbon sources can be used. Elkem is working to develop metallurgical silicon, ferrosilicon alloys, and silicon-based metals with the lowest possible carbon footprint, with a climate roadmap targeting net-zero CO₂ emissions by 2050. The process is also very energy-intensive, with the production of one ton of silicon typically requiring about 10-14 megawatts of electricity.

The molten metallurgical silicon is refined in a silicon ladle to control the impurity content (aluminum, calcium, etc.) and then cast into appropriate molds: impurities in metallurgical silicon, such as iron, must be controlled by managing the impurity content of the raw materials. The solidified metallurgical silicon is then crushed or ground to the desired particle size.

Silicon Metal Specification

Silicon metal powder is made of Silicon lumps by crushing, seiving, washing process etc. We have different grades of Si content powder, and we have different Si powder crushing and sieving processes to adapt to different applications of silicon powder.
Normal size: 180 mesh -325 mesh, 200 mesh, 325 mesh, 800 mesh, etc.

Packing & Delivery

Packing: 1 ton big bag, 20-25mt in 20' container

Company Profile

ZHENAN has been in the business of ferroalloy for 30 years now. It is a leading manufacturer and supplier of ferro silicon,silicon manganese,silicon metal,silicon carbide,high carbon silicon and so on.our company is a large-sized production enterprise integrating research, development, production and sales.

FAQ

Q: Are you a factory or a trading company?

We are factories and trading company.

Q: Do you have quality control?

A: Yes, we have gained BV, SGS authentication.

Q:.What is your terms of delivery?

We accept FOB, CFR, CIF, etc. You can choose the most convenient way for you.

Q: How long is your delivery time?

A: Generally it is 7-14 days if the goods are in stock. or it is 25-45 days if the goods are not in stock, it is according to quantity.