Silicon is used in large quantities to smelt ferrosilicon alloy as an alloying element in the steel industry and as a reducing agent in the smelting of many metals. Silicon is also a good component in aluminum alloys, and most cast aluminum alloys contain silicon.
Silicon is the raw material for ultrapure silicon in the electronics industry. Electronic devices made of ultrapure semiconductor single crystal silicon have the advantages of small size, light weight, good reliability and long life. High-power transistors, rectifiers and solar cells made from silicon single crystals doped with specific trace amounts of impurities are better than those made from germanium single crystals.
Research on amorphous silicon solar cells has progressed rapidly, and the conversion rate has reached more than 8%. The maximum operating temperature of the silicon molybdenum rod electric heating element can reach 1700°C, and its resistance is not easy to age and has good anti-oxidation properties. Trichlorosilane produced from silicon can be used to prepare hundreds of silicone lubricants and waterproofing compounds.
