The primary activity is the production of Si metal. Si metal is known as a semiconductor or metalloid. It is the second most abundant element in the Earth’s crust after oxygen, occurring naturally in various forms of silicon dioxide or silicate. It got its name from the Latin word SILICUS, which means flint. Silicon, like carbon, crystallizes in the diamond crystal lattice, which is shown in the figure below.
Silicon crystal lattice
Metallurgically produced Si metal is mainly used as an alloying element in the aluminum industry due to its property of increasing the strength of aluminum.
During the production of Si metal, a certain amount of metal is additionally formed, which is additionally polluted with iron during the technological process (most often during the casting of metal from the furnace). Depending on the amount of iron pollution, products are declared as FeSi75 and FeSi45.
During the technological process of production of Si metal, a certain amount of product is additionally created, which is declared as Si fume (filter dust).
The company uses three arc furnaces with an immersed arc of 10.5 MVA for the production of Si metal. Si metal is obtained from two basic raw materials: pure quartz (SiO2 carrier) and reducing agents: hard coal, charcoal, wood chips (C carriers).
B.S.I. LLC Jajce as one of the leading European producers of Si metal, it annually produces about 18,000 tons of this product.
