Element 14 · Metalloid
Silicon
Silicon is the semiconductor at the heart of every computer chip — and the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust.
Element Facts
SYMBOL
Si
ATOMIC NO.
14
ATOMIC WEIGHT
28.085
CATEGORY
Metalloid
PERIOD
Period 3
GROUP
Group 14
Origins
Silicon was identified as a distinct element in 1823–1824 by Jöns Jacob Berzelius, who isolated it by reducing silicon tetrafluoride with potassium. Named from the Latin “silex” for flint or hard stone. Silicon compounds (quartz, flint, clay) have been fundamental to human civilisation since prehistory — used in glassmaking (known since ancient Egypt), ceramics, and construction. The invention of the silicon transistor at Bell Labs in 1947 launched the semiconductor revolution that underpins all modern electronics.
Modern Applications
Silicon is the foundation of the modern electronics and solar energy industries: virtually all microchips, processors, memory, and solar photovoltaic cells are made from highly purified monocrystalline silicon wafers. Other major uses include silicone polymers, silica glass, concrete and construction materials (as sand and silicates), and steel production (silicon is added as a deoxidiser and for electrical steel grades).
At the Yard
Why QuickStop Metals doesn’t buy Silicon:
Silicon is a metalloid — not a conventional metal — and does not appear in scrap streams as a recoverable standalone element. While silicon alloys are present in some metals we buy (such as silicon steel), the silicon itself is not extractable at a scrap yard and is not traded as a scrap commodity.
Market Value
Silicon metal (for chemical and solar use) trades at approximately £1,000–1,800/tonne. China dominates global production. Not traded directly at scrap yards.