All of this is achieved by:

A change in the chemical composition of the steel

The removal of harmful impurities such as Sulphur, nitrogen or oxygen

A change in the solidification process, for example, upon inoculation

What is Ferrosilicon used for?

There are many practical applications of Ferro Silicon to include carbon steel and stainless steel production, and when using the Pidgeon process to produce magnesium from dolomite. Applications in the production of other alloys include the manufacture of silicon steel for electro motors and cores, as well as coatings used during arc welding. One useful by-product of the production processes is silica fume, which is later added to concrete mixes to improve compressive and bonding strength there.

It contributes an increase in hardness and deoxidising properties but also with an improvement in strength and quality of iron steel products. Using it to manufacture inoculants and nodularisers can give specific metallurgical properties to the final products produced, which can be:

Stainless steel: for superior corrosion resistance, hygiene, aesthetic and wear-resistance qualities

Carbon steels: used extensively in suspension bridges and other structural support material and in automotive bodies

Alloy steel: other types of finished steel

In fact, high-purity products are used in the production of grain-oriented (FeSi HP/AF Specialty Steel) and non-oriented electrical sheet and specialty steels requiring low levels of aluminium, titanium, boron and other residual elements.

Typical Applications

Ferro silicon is used for heavy media separation and atomization. Ferro Silicon is also widely used in casting, melting and related metallurgy industry.

It can be used as basic materials for adjusting, inoculation, suspending, coating and deoxidization in steel melting, casting, mineral processing and melting rod industry.

It is also used for production of semiconductors, pure silicon in electric industry and silicon copper in chemistry industry.

Scope of use: Basically meet the inoculation treatment of gray cast iron and ductile iron.

Advantages:

1. The composition of ferrosilicon particles is uniform, and the segregation is small;

2. Uniform size, no fine powder, stable inoculation effect;

3. ferrosilicon particles have a stronger incubation effect than ordinary ferrosilicon, and the tendency to produce slag is also small;

4. Prolong mold life and reduce surface defects;

5. Reduce pinholes, improve the surface quality of the cast pipe;

6. Eliminate micro-constriction and improve casting processability.

Product parameters:

Si:≥75%	Al:≤2.0%	C：≤0.2%	S：≤0.02%	P：≤0.04
Si:≥75%	Al:≤0.1%	C：≤0.1%	S：≤0.02%	P：≤0.04
Note: the chemical composition can be optimised by customers’ request.

Application:

1. Used as a deoxidizer and alloying agent in the steelmaking industry. Ferrosilicon inoculant is an indispensable deoxidant in the steelmaking process. A small amount of ferrosilicon inoculant can be used to precipitate and diffuse oxygen in molten steel during the steelmaking process. The finished steel is of good quality and high hardness.

2. Used as inoculant and nodulizer in the cast iron industry. Adding a certain amount of ferrosilicon to cast iron can prevent the formation of carbides in iron and promote the precipitation and spheroidization of graphite. Therefore, ferrosilicon is an important inoculant (to help precipitate graphite) and nodulizer in the production of ductile iron.