Silicone supplies are improving, but there is cause for concern at the top of the chain.
China refines more than 70 percent of the world's silicon metal (using "dirty coal" as feedstocks), with the U.S. coming in at about 5 percent (with cleaner coal and renewable feedstocks).
Bill Hightower (Ferroglobe), Scott Kearns (ElastaPro Silicone Sheeting), Andrew Schunk (Rubber News) and Ken Baker (NewAge Industries Inc.) offered their thoughts Oct. 5 as part of a panel at Silicone Expo N.A. that tackled the upstream issue, calling it "a national defense issue."
Solutions include awareness on a federal level and a public-partnership to establish refineries, which require an investment in the hundreds of millions of dollars range and several years to become operational.
"That's why industry leaders are working with domestic suppliers and even the U.S. government to ensure that the risks, especially to critical industries, are understood," said Dominic Testo of Specialty Silicone Products Inc.
Silicon metal is refined in varying grades for use in silicone rubber (35 percent); polysilicon for solar arrays and microchips (25 percent); metal alloys, especially aluminum (40 percent); and in anodic form for battery applications.
One notch farther downstream, silicone monomer—polydimethylsiloxane—is in short domestic supply as well, with Dow as the only remaining producer of PDMS in North America.
The panel discussion concluded with a message urging those in the industry to contact their local Congressional representatives to ensure they are aware of the potential issue—and that silicon metal is deemed a critical material for the U.S., like polysilicon is for microchips.
