European Silicon Metal Price on October 12: 98.5% and 99% Grade Quotations

European Silicon Metal Price on October 12, 2023

Silicon metal, also sold as metallic silicon, is a commodity whose European price is assessed grade by grade and normally quoted on a delivered-duty-paid basis. The market note used for this page records the October 12, 2023 assessment for two standard furnace grades, 98.50% and 99%, both expressed in euro per ton DDP.

Grade	Price	Unit	Remark
98.50%	2,950-3,000	Euro/ton	DDP
99%	3,100-3,260	Euro/ton	DDP

Neither grade recorded any movement against the previous assessment on that date, and both were quoted on the same DDP basis. The difference between the two lines is therefore a pure grade effect rather than a difference in delivery terms: the 99% material stood 150 euro per ton above the 98.50% grade at the lower end of the ranges and 260 euro per ton above at the upper end.

What the Name Metal Silicon Means

The product name metal silicon appeared in the mid-1960s and its emergence is linked to the growth of the semiconductor industry. The accepted international practice is to divide commercial silicon into metallic silicon and semiconductor silicon. Metallic silicon covers the furnace grades consumed by the aluminium, chemical and metallurgical industries, while semiconductor silicon refers to the far higher purity material used for electronic devices.

This distinction matters when a specification is written, because a high silicon figure alone does not make a product semiconductor silicon. The commercial furnace grades are defined by their impurity profile as much as by the silicon content figure.

How Metallic Silicon Is Smelted and Graded

Metallic silicon is smelted from quartz and coke in an electric furnace. The main component is silicon at around 98%, and the balance consists of impurities such as iron, aluminium and calcium. Material with a silicon content as high as 99.99% is still classified within metallic silicon rather than semiconductor silicon, which is why the commercial grades are described by their impurity balance as much as by the silicon figure itself.

98.50% Si grade, quoted at 2,950-3,000 euro per ton DDP on October 12, 2023.

99% Si grade, quoted at 3,100-3,260 euro per ton DDP on the same date.

Iron, aluminium and calcium are the principal impurity elements controlled in both grades.

Higher silicon content generally requires tighter raw material selection and closer process control.

Because the reduction takes place at high temperature in a submerged arc furnace, electrical energy is widely described as the largest single cost element, followed by the quality and cost of the quartz and of the reducing carbon source. That cost structure is the reason European assessments track power and carbon costs closely.

Why DDP Quotations Are Common in Europe

A delivered-duty-paid quotation bundles freight, duty and delivery into a single figure. That makes comparison straightforward for a European buyer, but it also hides the transport component inside the price. A buyer should therefore always record the incoterm together with the price and check the named delivery point, because a change of delivery terms moves the comparable level even when the market itself has not changed.

The same caution applies to currency. Both lines above are quoted in euro per ton, and turning them into another currency introduces an exchange-rate element that has nothing to do with the silicon market. Keeping the original unit in the record avoids that distortion.

Using a Grade Quotation in Procurement

Silicon metal is a consumable whose addition rate is governed by the target silicon content and the recovery achieved in the furnace or ladle. A buyer comparing suppliers should match the quoted grade against the specification of the end product, verify the impurity limits that apply, and note the delivery term and validity period attached to each price.

Because the two grades reviewed here move closely together, the grade spread is a useful reference point. If an offer for 99% material falls close to the 98.50% level, the grade basis of the offer is worth checking before it is treated as a genuine market opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What was the European silicon metal price on October 12, 2023?
The 98.50% grade was quoted at 2,950 to 3,000 euro per ton DDP and the 99% grade at 3,100 to 3,260 euro per ton DDP.

Q: What is the difference between 98.50% and 99% silicon metal?
Both are furnace grades of metallic silicon; the 99% grade carries a higher silicon content and a tighter impurity balance, which is why it is quoted above the 98.50% grade.

Q: What does DDP mean in a silicon metal quotation?
DDP means the seller delivers to the agreed destination with duty paid, so transport and duty are already included in the quoted figure.

Q: What is metallic silicon made from?
Metallic silicon is smelted from quartz and coke in an electric furnace, with silicon forming the main component at around 98% and iron, aluminium and calcium as the main impurities.

Q: Is 99.99% silicon classified as semiconductor silicon?
No. Material with a silicon content as high as 99.99% is still classified as metallic silicon; semiconductor silicon is a separate, higher purity category.

Q: Which impurities matter most in silicon metal?
Iron, aluminium and calcium are the principal impurity elements assessed in commercial silicon metal grades, alongside the silicon content itself.