EKC.AG
Silicon Supply
The industrial extraction of silicon requires a carbothermal reduction of quartz (SiO2) within an electric arc furnace at temperatures of more than 2,000 °C. This process yields a material called silicon metal with a purity of at least 98.5 %.
Across the globe, there is a demand for approximately 2.7 tons of silicon metal. Silicon serves as an alloying element in aluminium and ferro-alloys, as raw material for the fabrication of silicones and chemical products, or as a basic resource for solar cells and computer chips.
Within our increasingly electrified world, silicon metal plays an increasingly vital role in fields such as construction, battery systems, and automotive technology.
If you need silicon for your business, you can count on the top-notch supply of raw materials provided by EKC.AG!
EKC.AG: Silicon Sourcing and Logistics
As a supplier of raw minerals, we obtain our silicon metal from countries such as China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. Our service not only includes the acquisition of silicon metal. Furthermore, we take care of processing, storage within the EU, quality and finance management, as well as logistics via ship, train, or truck.
We will find the best logistical solution to deliver your order of silicon metal in a timely and precise manner. Throughout the whole process, we are happy to follow up on your questions and demands at any given time. We make sure to carefully monitor every step of the operation and continuously look for ways to further optimize your cost management and transportation routes.
When it comes to silicon sourcing, you can trust in our longstanding experience and our global, reliable network.
Value chain
Silicon Provided by EKC.AG: Industrial Sectors and Usage
Silicon is the number-one raw material of the solar age in the 21st century. More than 80 to 85 % of all solar cells produced worldwide contain silicon metal. The availability of silicon is considered virtually endless. After all, 60 % of the earth’s crust consist of silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as ”quartz sand“ or simply “sand.” This makes silicon the second most common element on earth. Nevertheless, extracting silicon requires an extremely high energetic and technical effort.
Silicon metal serves various purposes in chemical industries. For example, it can be used as a base material for the production of silanes and silicones in coatings, resins, varnishes, etc. It furthermore helps to produce high-strength alloys as an alloying element in ferro-alloys and aluminium, which are needed for castings or lightweight materials in the automotive industry. Of course, silicon metal also constitutes the main raw material (i.e. the base material) necessary to produce highly purified silicon for solar cells (photovoltaic modules) or computer chips. The resulting by-product microsilica is put to use in the construction materials industry.