The development of silicon carbide manufacturers in China
Silicon carbide powder is a high-hardness non-metallic abrasive product. It is second only to diamond in hardness in synthetic materials. There are few silicon carbide materials in the natural minerals. In the meantime, the use in the industrial field covers a large range. Silicon carbide is an important industry related to the national economy and people’s livelihood. Therefore, smelting production through the Acheson process is an inevitable choice for the production of silicon carbide abrasives. However, the production industry and equipment of silicon carbide are complex and consume a large amount of electricity. Chinese silicon carbide abrasive manufacturers have explored step by step, and currently, China’s silicon carbide abrasive production capacity accounts for over 80% of the world’s.
In the 1960s, Zhengzhou’s Second Grinding Wheel Factory introduced SiC production technology from Germany. The factory produced black silicon carbide and green silicon carbide both. However, this technology is fixed furnace smelting. It consumes high energy and has low quality and output. Chinese technicians have transformed the equipment into a movable smelting furnace through technological improvements. It resulted in significant improvements in production capacity and quality. At that time, the production of silicon carbide was mainly in the Zhengzhou area of Henan province.
In the 1980s, Zhengzhou Second Grinding Wheel also faced the situation of state-owned enterprise restructuring. Private enterprises producing silicon carbide abrasives have become active. Due to the high energy consumption of silicon carbide production, most production enterprises will be located in the radiation area of power plants. At the end of the 1990s, the manufacturers of silicon carbide were mainly distributed in Henan, Shandong, and Jiangsu.
After entering the 21st century, due to higher power costs and lack of land, silicon carbide manufacturers in the central region are facing a significant increase in costs and a decline in competitiveness. Silicon carbide smelting manufacturers have relocated to the northwest region. At the same time, large-scale mobile smelting furnaces have begun mass production. On the other hand, the environment in the northwest region is harsh and not suitable for fine processing of silicon carbide abrasives. The screening and washing processes are still concentrated in the central and eastern regions.
There were technical barriers in the production of silicon carbide abrasives. So silicon carbide abrasives exporting was restricted by regulations and export quotas for a long time. After 2010, with the scale and popularization of silicon carbide abrasive production, silicon carbide abrasive has become one of the most widely used abrasives. The export quotas have greatly limited the development of the industry. Therefore, the National Development and Reform Commission lifted the export quota restrictions on silicon carbide abrasives in 2013. Afterward, the export volume of silicon carbide abrasives continued to increase.
At present, domestic silicon carbide manufacturers are also seeking higher development. Energy saving and low-carbon production technology improvements have eliminated single-ton high energy consuming enterprises. At the same time, silicon carbide abrasives are also developing towards refinement. Silicon carbide nanopowder, high-purity silicon carbide powder, and cubic silicon carbide all have broad prospects.
