Silicon

Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, making up about 27.6% of its total mass. This abundance highlights its importance in the mineral composition of the Earth.

As a metalloid, silicon exhibits properties intermediate between metals and non-metals, making it versatile in various applications.

1.0Where Silicon Occurs

Silicon has the atomic number 14 and is located in Group 14 (the carbon group) and Period 3 of the periodic table. Its placement reflects its properties and behaviour, similar to other elements in this group. Silicon makes up about 27.6% of the Earth's crust but is rarely found in its pure form. Instead, it is primarily found as silicon dioxide (SiO₂) and exists in crystalline forms like quartz, jasper, and opal. And various silicates, including minerals such as feldspar, micas, olivines, and pyroxenes.

Silicon's allotropic forms include:

• Amorphous Silicon: Silicon exhibits amphoteric behaviour, which can act as an acid and a base. It can react with acids and bases to form silicates, making it versatile in chemical reactions.
• Crystalline Silicon: This form is crucial in the semiconductor industry due to its orderly atomic structure, which enables precise control of electrical properties. It is fundamental for electronic devices and integrated circuits.

2.0Physical Properties of Silicon

• State at Room Temperature: Silicon is a solid at standard room temperature. Its crystalline structure often forms a diamond-like lattice, giving it a metallic sheen.
• Density: Silicon has a density of approximately 2.3296 grams per cubic centimetre. This relatively low density contributes to its lightweight nature compared to many other elements.
• Melting Point: Silicon has a melting point of about 1,414°C (2,577°F). This high-temperature resistance makes it suitable for applications involving high temperatures.
• Boiling Point: Silicon's boiling point is also high, around 2,830°C (5,126°F). This high boiling point is crucial for applications where the element must remain liquid at elevated temperatures.
• Crystal Structure: Silicon crystallizes in a cubic diamond lattice structure, which imparts notable hardness and strength to the material.
• Electrical Conductivity: Silicon is a semiconductor with moderate electrical conductivity. This property is vital for its use in the electronics industry, including producing integrated circuits and solar cells.
• Malleability and Ductility: Silicon is neither malleable nor ductile. Instead, it is hard and brittle, which is prone to breaking or shattering under stress rather than deforming.

3.0Chemical Properties of Silicon

Silicon exhibits exciting chemical properties essential in various industrial and technological applications. These properties highlight silicon's versatility and importance, especially in electronics, metallurgy, and materials science.

• Reactivity: Silicon is generally unreactive under normal conditions, which makes it chemically stable. It doesn't react readily with most acids or bases, contributing to its wide use in electronics and other applications where chemical stability is crucial.
• Alloy Formation: Silicon forms alloys with metals, notably lighter metals. One of the most common alloys is ferrosilicon, a mixture of iron and silicon, used in steelmaking and producing silicon-containing chemicals.
• Amphoteric Nature: Silicon exhibits amphoteric behaviour, which can act as an acid and a base. It can react with acids to form silicates and with bases to form silicates, making it versatile in chemical reactions.
• Reaction with Alkali Metals: Silicon reacts with alkali metals like sodium and potassium to form silicides, compounds with applications in advanced materials and electronics.
• Oxidation: When exposed to oxygen, silicon forms a protective silicon dioxide (SiO₂) layer on its surface. This oxide layer serves as a passivation barrier, protecting the underlying silicon from further oxidation, which is beneficial for its use in semiconductor devices.
• Combustibility: Silicon is not readily combustible in standard atmospheric conditions. This low reactivity with oxygen at ambient temperatures makes it suitable for use in high-temperature environments, such as furnace linings and other heat-resistant materials.
• Hydride Formation: Silicon can react with hydrogen to form silanes, such as silane (SiH₄). Silanes are silicon analogues of alkanes and are essential in producing semiconductors and as precursors in synthesising other silicon compounds.
• Halogen Reactivity: Silicon reacts with halogens (fluorine, chlorine, bromine, iodine) to form silicon tetrahalides, such as silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄) and silicon tetrachloride (SiCl₄). These compounds are helpful in various chemical processes, including producing pure silicon and as intermediates in chemical synthesis.

4.0Compounds/Polymers of Silicon

Silicon is a highly versatile element that can form various stable compounds with other components. Owing to their unique chemical and physical properties, these silicon compounds play a vital role in industries like electronics, materials science, and industrial chemistry.

• Silicon Dioxide (SiO₂): Silicon dioxide, commonly referred to as silica, is among the most abundant compounds in the Earth's crust. It appears in multiple forms, such as quartz, sand, and glass. Silicon dioxide is integral to producing glass and ceramics and is a critical raw material for silicon manufacturing in the semiconductor industry.
• Silicon Carbide (SiC): Silicon carbide, or carborundum, is a hard, crystalline compound of silicon and carbon. Due to its hardness, it is widely used as an abrasive for cutting, grinding, and polishing. Silicon carbide is also used in high-temperature applications, such as furnace linings and as a semiconductor material in power electronics.
• Silicon Hydrides (Silanes): Silanes are compounds of silicon and hydrogen, with the general formula SiₙH₂ₙ₊₂. These compounds are precursors in the semiconductor industry, especially in the chemical vapour deposition process for producing thin silicon films.
• Silicon Halides: Silicon can form tetrahalides with halogens, such as silicon tetrachloride (SiCl₄) and silicon tetrafluoride (SiF₄). These compounds produce high-purity silicon and are intermediates in synthesizing other silicon-based chemicals. For example, silicon tetrachloride is used to produce optical fibres.
• Silicon Nitrides (Si₃N₄): Silicon nitride is a hard, heat-resistant ceramic material used in high-temperature applications, such as gas turbines and engine components. Due to its high strength and resistance to thermal shock, it is also used in cutting tools and bearings.
• Silicon Phosphides: Silicon can react with phosphorus to form silicon phosphides, used in semiconductor applications and in producing certain types of LEDs.
• Silicones: Silicones are a class of synthetic polymers made up of silicon, oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen. Due to their stability, flexibility, and resistance to heat and chemicals, they are used in a wide range of applications, from lubricants and sealants to medical devices and kitchenware.
• Silicon Sulfides: Silicon forms sulfides such as silicon disulfide (SiS₂). These compounds are less common but are used in specialized chemical synthesis processes.

5.0The Uses Of Silicon

• Ceramics and Construction Materials: Silicon is essential in producing ceramics and fire bricks due to its high-temperature stability and durability.
• Alloy Production: Silicon is used to create various alloys, including aluminium-silicon and ferrosilicon (iron-silicon). These alloys are crucial in the steel industry, enhancing steel products' strength and corrosion resistance.
• Silicones: Silicon is a critical element in producing silicone polymers, consisting of silicon-oxygen chains with attached methyl groups. These silicones are versatile and used in various applications, such as lubricants in hair conditioners and cosmetics.
• Silicone Rubber: Silicone rubber, derived from silicon, is widely used in waterproofing systems for bathrooms, roofs, and pipes due to its flexibility, water resistance, and durability.
• Semiconductor Industry: Silicon is an indispensable semiconductor in producing transistors and solid-state devices, including those used in microelectronics and the computer industry. Highly purified silicon is the foundation of modern electronics.
• Raw Materials: Unprocessed silicon is used in making silica sand, clays, and stones, which are fundamental components in construction and various industrial processes.
• Cement Production: Silicates, compounds containing silicon, are crucial in producing Portland cement, the most common type of cement used in construction.