Silicon metal is a product smelted from quartz and coke in an electric furnace. Silicon metal, also known as crystalline silicon or industrial silicon, is mainly used as an additive for non-iron-based alloys. The main component silicon content is about 98% (in recent years, 99.99% Si content is also included in metallic silicon), and the remaining impurities are iron and aluminum , calcium, etc.
What fields is silicon metal mainly used?
1.Aluminium alloys.
Silicon is dissolved in molten aluminium to improve the viscosity of the liquid aluminium and to improve the mechanical properties of aluminium alloys.
2.Solar cells.
Ultrahigh-purity grade silicon is used for the production of solar panels. Silicon solar cells are the most common cells used in commercially available solar panels.
3.Electronics.
Ultra-high purity grade silicon is used extensively in electronic devices such as silicon semiconductors, transistors, printed circuit boards and integrated circuits. Semiconductor-grade silicon metal used in making computer chips is crucial to modern technology.
Currently, only less than 1 kt of silicon metal is used for the graphite anodes of lithium-ion-batteries. This amount and its share on the overall silicon metal demand is expected to increase significantly within the next decade (BRGM, 2021).
Other applications of silicon metal include explosives, refractories and ceramics.
