Metallic Silicon

Overview
Metallic silicon, also known as crystalline silicon or industrial silicon, is primarily used as an additive in non-ferrous alloys. It is also employed as an alloying agent for high-grade silicon steel and as a deoxidizer for special steel grades and non-ferrous alloys. After a series of processing steps, industrial silicon can be drawn into monocrystalline silicon for use in the electronics industry.
Properties
The main component of metallic silicon is silicon, so it shares similar properties with silicon. Metallic silicon exhibits properties close to those of germanium, lead, and tin, and has semiconductor characteristics.
Classification
Metallic silicon is typically classified based on the content of three main impurities: iron, aluminum, and calcium. Depending on the levels of these elements, metallic silicon is categorized into different grades such as 553, 441, 411, 421, 3303, 3305, 2202, 2502, 1501, and 1101.
By-products
These include silicon micro powder, edge silicon, black skin silicon, and metallic silicon slag. Silicon micro powder, also known as silica fume or microsilica, is widely used in the refractory and concrete industries.
Applications
Metallic silicon is mainly used to produce silicones, obtain high-purity semiconductor materials, and prepare alloys for specific purposes.
(1) Production of silicone rubber, silicone resin, silicone oil, and other silicones.
(2) Manufacturing of high-purity semiconductors.
(3) Alloy preparation.