In 2026, with the continuous improvement of casting quality requirements and further increase of environmental pressure in the foundry industry, High Carbon Silicon, as a low-impurity and multi-functional foundry auxiliary material, is increasingly widely used in cast iron production. Different from traditional foundry deoxidizers with high impurity content and large composition fluctuations, High Carbon Silicon has not only reduced the content of harmful impurities such as aluminum, phosphorus and sulfur through the optimization and upgrading of production processes, but also realized the integrated functions of deoxidation, carburization and temperature rise, becoming one of the core materials for the transformation and upgrading of the foundry industry in 2026. At the same time, the green transformation of its production process is also in line with the latest requirements of the 2026 revised version of the “Foundry Industry Air Pollutant Emission Standards”.
Upgrading and Innovation of High Carbon Silicon Production Processes
The traditional production process of High Carbon Silicon is a by-product in the production of metallic silicon. Due to uneven electrode distribution and uneven raw material heating, silica at the bottom of the furnace does not fully react with carbonaceous raw materials, forming lumpy products after long-term high-temperature accumulation. This process has problems such as low output, difficulty in controlling impurity content, and high power consumption, which restrict the large-scale application of High Carbon Silicon. In 2026, process upgrading schemes in the industry have been fully applied on a large scale, effectively solving the pain points of traditional processes:
1. Plasma Production Process
The plasma method for preparing High Carbon Silicon uses a high-temperature plasma torch to achieve uniform heating and sufficient reaction of raw materials. Compared with the traditional electric furnace process, power consumption is reduced by 45%, and the silicon and carbon content can be accurately controlled. The impurity content (aluminum, phosphorus, sulfur) is further reduced, and the product purity is increased to more than 99%. In 2026, this process has been fully applied on a large scale in major domestic production bases, with production capacity increasing by 280% year-on-year.
2. Raw Material Ratio Optimization Process
By optimizing the ratio of silica and carbonaceous raw materials, introducing high-purity quartz sand and graphite powder, reducing impurity introduction from raw materials, and adjusting furnace temperature and pressure parameters to ensure sufficient reaction. High Carbon Silicon produced by this process can have a silicon content stably above 68% and a carbon content of 18%, fully meeting the needs of high-end casting.
Core Application Advantages of High Carbon Silicon in the Foundry Industry
Cast iron generally contains 2%-4% carbon and 1%-3% silicon. These two elements directly affect the metallographic structure and mechanical properties of cast iron. As a core auxiliary material, the advantages of High Carbon Silicon in the casting process are mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Precise Composition Control: High Carbon Silicon has stable composition and low impurity content (Al≤3%, S≤0.1%, P≤0.05%), which can accurately supplement carbon and silicon elements in cast iron, avoiding problems such as uneven hardness and insufficient toughness of castings caused by composition fluctuations.
Improve Casting Quality: The high-efficiency deoxidation function can remove oxygen impurities in the molten iron, reduce casting defects such as pores and shrinkage cavities, and the desulfurization function can reduce the sulfur content in the molten iron, improving the corrosion resistance and mechanical strength of castings.
Adapt to High-End Processes: Aiming at the strict quality requirements of integrated die-casting processes for castings, low-sodium High Carbon Silicon has realized import substitution, with deoxidation efficiency increased to 94.5%, effectively solving the industry pain point of high porosity defect rate in die-cast parts.
2026 High Carbon Silicon Application Cases and Trends in the Foundry Industry
In 2026, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles, construction machinery and other industries, the demand for high-end cast iron parts continues to grow, and the application scenarios of High Carbon Silicon are constantly expanding. In the mass production of integrated die-cast chassis for new energy vehicles, High Carbon Silicon, as a core deoxidizer and carburizer, can effectively improve the fluidity and density of die-cast aluminum alloy, ensuring the mechanical strength and fatigue resistance of chassis castings, and has been included in the core supplier system by many leading automakers. In the casting of construction machinery engine blocks, the use of High Carbon Silicon can increase the hardness of the cylinder block by 18%, enhance wear resistance by 25%, and extend the service life of the engine.
From the perspective of industry trends, the completion rate of ultra-low emission transformation in the foundry industry has reached more than 98% in 2026. High Carbon Silicon, as an environmentally friendly auxiliary material with low dust and low emissions, has become a standard configuration for foundry enterprises. At the same time, the 2026 revised clause of the European Union’s “Metallurgical Auxiliary Sustainability Certification System” has set a 0.008ppm-level testing threshold for heavy metal impurity content in foundry auxiliary materials. With its low impurity advantage, the application proportion of High Carbon Silicon in the production of exported castings has increased to more than 70%.