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Silicon metal, also known as crystalline silicon or industrial silicon, is mainly used as an additive for non-iron-based alloys. Silicon Metal is a product smelted from quartz and coke in an electric furnace. 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, aluminum, calcium, etc.

The classification of silicon metal is usually based on the content of the three main impurities of iron, aluminum, and calcium contained in the metallic silicon component.

Silicon metal 553 grade specification: Si %98.5min, Fe %0.5max, Al %0.5max, Ca %0.3max;
Silicon metal 553 is a commonly used grade. Adding silicon metal to aluminium alloys makes them strong and light.

The production process of silicon metal 553 mainly includes the following steps:

‌Raw material preparation‌: The production of silicon metal mainly uses silica and carbonaceous reducing agents (such as petroleum coke, washed coal, charcoal, etc.). These raw materials need to be washed, screened and dried to ensure their purity and quality‌.

Smelting process‌: After the processed silica and carbonaceous reducing agent are mixed according to a certain proportion, they are sent to the submerged arc furnace for smelting. During the smelting process, silica is reduced to metallic silicon at high temperatures. The smelting temperature usually needs to reach above 1800 degrees Celsius. The smelting process is continuous and has a high degree of automation.

Product processing‌: After cooling, crushing and packaging, the smelted metallic silicon can be sold as industrial silicon powder. In addition, the gas generated during the smelting process undergoes dust removal and the silicon powder can be recovered for other purposes‌.

The main factors affecting silicon metal production include the quality and purity of raw materials. The purity of silica directly affects the quality of the final product, so selecting high-quality silica and suitable carbonaceous reducing agent is key. In addition, the temperature control and raw material ratio during the smelting process will also affect the purity and yield of the product‌.

We can customize metallic silicon of various particle sizes according to customer requirements. If you want to know about the market for metallic silicon, you can contact us at any time.