Silicon Metal Metallurgical Materials Block

Silicon metal is a grey and lustrous semi-conductive metal that is used to manufacture steel, solar cells, and microchips. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth's crust (behind only oxygen) and the eighth-most common element in the universe. Nearly 30 percent of the weight of the earth's crust can be attributed to silicon.

The element with atomic number 14 naturally occurs in silicate minerals, including silica, feldspar, and mica, which are major components of common rocks such as quartz and sandstone. A semi-metal (or metalloid), silicon possesses some properties of both metals and non-metals.

Like water - but unlike most metals - silicon contracts in its liquid state and expands as it solidifies. It has relatively high melting and boiling points, and when crystallized forms a diamond cubic crystal structure. Critical to silicon's role as a semiconductor and its use in electronics is the element's atomic structure, which includes four valence electrons that allow silicon to bond with other elements readily.