Why Is Ferrosilicon Essential In Steelmaking

Ferrosilicon is a widely used ferroalloy variety. It is a ferrosilicon alloy composed of silicon and iron in a certain proportion, and is an indispensable material for steelmaking, such as FeSi75, FeSi65, and FeSi45.

Status: natural block, off-white, with a thickness of about 100mm. (Whether there are cracks on the appearance, whether the color fades when touched by hand, whether the percussion sound is crisp)

Composition of raw materials: Ferrosilicon is made by smelting coke, steel shavings (iron oxide scale), and quartz (or silica) in an electric furnace.

Due to the strong affinity between silicon and oxygen, after ferrosilicon is added to steelmaking, the following deoxidation reaction occurs:

2FeO+Si=2Fe+SiO₂

Silica is the product of deoxidation, it is lighter than molten steel, floats on the surface of steel and enters the slag, thereby taking off the oxygen in the steel, which can significantly improve the strength, hardness and elasticity of the steel, increase the magnetic permeability of the steel, reduce Hysteresis loss in transformer steel.

So what are the other uses of ferrosilicon?

1. Used as inoculant and nodulizer in cast iron industry;

2. Add ferrosilicon as reducing agent when smelting certain ferroalloy products;

3. Due to the important physical properties of silicon, such as low electrical conductivity, poor thermal conductivity and strong magnetic conductivity, ferrosilicon is also used as an alloying agent in making silicon steel.

4. Ferrosilicon is often used in the high-temperature smelting process of metal magnesium in the Pidgeon method of smelting magnesium

5. Use in other aspects. Finely ground or atomized ferrosilicon powder can be used as a suspension phase in the mineral processing industry. In the welding rod manufacturing industry, it can be used as a coating for welding rods. High-silicon ferrosilicon can be used in the chemical industry to make products such as silicone.