Metallurgical Grade Quartz

Listing ID #1441298

Purified metallurgical silicon is essential for the production of ingots and wafers for the solar and semiconductor industry. Currently, the most popular way of purifying metallurgical silicon is through the Siemens process. However, this process is very expensive, and it would be more favourable to upgrade the metallurgical silicon using high purity quartz.

Metallurgical grade silicon (MG-Si) is produced through the reduction of quartz with carbon. In order to be used for solar applications, the silicon needs to be further processed. Directional solidification is often used to purify the silicon, as seen in the multicrystalline casting process. Directional solidification is a very important step in upgrading MG-Si, as the segregation coefficients enable the impurities to be separated between liquid and solid silicon phase. Controlling the direction of solidification enables the impurities to be concentrated in a single area of the cast ingot, which can then be removed. Boron and Phosphorus are very difficult to get rid of, however, as they do not respond in the same way as other impurities and need to be removed in a different way.

The slag for the refining process needs to have good viscosity, a different density to molten silicon to enable separation, suitable interfacial properties between the slag and the molten silicon to enable a high degree of interaction, a suitable distribution coefficient for the boron, and suitable basicity for the slag to optimise. The slag needs to promote oxidisation of the boron, but the Si should not be oxidised. Quartz is used because it won't create more SiO2, but break up to make Si and O2. A typical slag currently used in the market is a mixture of quartz and calcium oxide (CaO).

SP2-C works perfectly for slag processing of MG-Si. The special PSD and controlled, low levels of Boron and Phosphorous make it ideal for this use. For more information on this product.

We would be pleased to discuss your advanced material requirements. All our products can be ordered on a range of flexible terms including short run, short lead time basis or supplied under long-term fixed price offtake arrangements to ensure your security of supply.we offer them customized Metallurgical Grade Quartz. We provide high volume material on a regular and consistent basis. Also, this Metallurgical Grade Quartz is produced for slightly less pure solar-grade silicon.