Elkem Silicon Materials Expands its Milling Capabilities
As one of the leading global silicon producers with more than 85 years of metallurgical competence and production, Elkem Silicon Materials/NO is serving the ceramics and refractories industry with a broad range of silicon powders. In addition to standard, off-the-shelf products Elkem also offers tailored products to meet customer needs, both with respect to size and chemistry.
In a unique, green hydropower-based process at the Elkem Bremanger plant located in the fjords on the west coast of Norway, Silgrain® is produced. Elkem is in full control of the complete value chain from the raw material quartz to finished Silgrain products. The Silgrain Micron Cut range has a well-defined top cut, ideally suited for slip casting applications, whereas PreSize has sharp cuts in both ends. If high purity is needed the Supreme (>99,99 % Si, Fe <20 ppmw) is the products of choice. Low-fines, coarse Silgrain is used in infiltration processes. Silgrain® powders are a key component in the value chain of a variety of advanced silicon ceramics such as Reaction Bonded Silicon Carbide (RBSC), Silicon Nitride Bonded Silicon Carbide (NBSC), Reaction Bonded Silicon Nitride (RBSN) and SiAlON(silicon aluminum oxynitride). Applications include brake discs, filters. heating elements, pump components, tubes and pipes and body armour to name a few.
For the refractories industry the requirements are less stringent, and most customers prefer the Si-NINE or the newly added Si-RG product range. Also, here powders can be tailored to customer needs. Elkem has several downstream production sites for silicon powders and the latest addition, serving mainly the refractories industry, is Elkem Milling UK, located in Gainsborough, east of Sheffield/GB. All Elkem plants are ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 certified.
