About FERRO-SILICON
India’s First BIS Certification Marks Licence with Licence No. CM/L-5400063597 has been granted to M/s. GASGEN FERRO ALLOYS LLP, Industrial Growth Centrecollege Road, Duliajan 786602, under BIS Eastern Regional Office and Guwahati Branch Office.
Ferrosilicon or ferrosilicium is a ferroalloy, an alloy of iron and silicon with between 15% and 90% silicon. It contains a high proportion of iron silicides. Its melting point is about 1200 °C to 1250 °C with a boiling point of 2355 °C. It also contains about 1% to 2% of calcium and aluminum.
Ferrosilicon is used to remove oxygen from the steel and as an alloying element to improve the final quality of the steel. Silicon increases namely strength and wears resistance, elasticity (spring steels), scale resistance (heat resistant steels), and lowers electrical conductivity and magnetostriction (electrical steels). Special FeSi like low Al, High Purity, and low C ferrosilicon are used in the production of special steel qualities for transformers/motors, ball bearings, shock absorbers, tyre cord steel, and stainless steel.
FERRO SILICON SPECIFICATIONS
PRODUCTION PROCESS
The following processes take place when making Ferro-Silicon:
- Removal of volatiles and moisture from the charge and heating of the charge by the heat of burning gases which leave the furnace and afterburn at the top;
- The iron dissolves the reduced Silicon and removes it from the reaction zone and thus causing the reaction to proceed from left to right.
- With high-temperature reduction which is typical of the process of smelting Fe-Silicon, the process of reduction of SiO2 into silicon at atmospheric pressure is mostly occurs in stages
- Carbon causes the final reduction of silica. The latter reacts with carbon both at the surface of lumps of coke breeze and in their depth, upon having penetrated through pores and fissures.
At regular intervals, the furnace is tapped. The tap hole is opened by oxygen and lancing pipe, and after tapping is completed, it is closed by clay plugs. The liquid metal flows into the sand-dressed runners and pans. After solidification the finished product is broken manually and tested in lab, then packed in bags.
FEATURES OF FERRO SILICON
- Ferrosilicons having higher silicon content find suitability in electric arc furnaces.
- Usual formulations these are made available in include 45% to 75%silicon
- Ferrosilicon finds usage as a source of silicon for reducing metals from their oxides
- Also finds usage for deoxidizing steel as well as other ferrous alloys.
- Supports prevention of loss of carbon from molten steel
- Used for manufacturing of silicon, high-temperature resistant & corrosion-resistant ferrous silicon alloys as well as silicon steel for use in transformer and electromotor cores.
- In manufacturing cast iron, ferrosilicon finds usage for inoculation of iron to accelerate graphitization.
PROCESS FLOW CHART
