Silicon-iron cast iron inoculant

Ferrosilicon, with its high silicon content (silicon is a strong reducing agent) and relatively low price, is often used as a reducing agent in the metallurgical industry. Especially in the highly exothermic "metal thermal reduction method" (a variant of the Thermite Process or Aluminothermic Process). The most classic example is the production of metallic magnesium by reducing dolomite (MgO.CaO) with ferrosilicon (especially high-silicon ferrosilicon) (Pidgeon Process) : Calcined dolomite (CaO.MgO) and ferrosilicon (FeSi75) powder were mixed in proportion and formed into pellets. Under high temperature (1150-1200°C) and vacuum (~10 Pa) conditions, a reduction reaction occurred: 2(MgO.CaO) + Si(Fe) -> 2Mg(g) + Ca2SiO4 + Fe. Magnesium vapor crystallizes and recovers in the condenser. Although this method consumes a relatively high amount of energy, it remains an important production approach. Ferrosilicon is also used to reduce chromite to produce low-carbon ferrochromium: chromite,…