Kísíl

Kísíl is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a metalloid, meaning it has properties of both metals and nonmetals. In its pure form, kísíl is a hard, brittle, crystalline solid with a blue-gray metallic luster. It is the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust, making up about 27.7% by mass. Kísíl is not found in its elemental form in nature; instead, it is most commonly found as silicon dioxide (SiO2), also known as silica, which is the main component of sand and quartz, or as silicates, which are compounds containing silicon and oxygen along with other elements.

The discovery of kísíl is credited to the Swedish chemist Jöns Jacob Berzelius in 1823, although it had been known in compound forms for much longer. The element is extracted from silica through carbothermal reduction, a process involving heating silica with carbon in an electric arc furnace. Kísíl has a high melting point and is an excellent semiconductor. This semiconducting property is crucial to its widespread use in the electronics industry, where it is the foundation for transistors, integrated circuits, and solar cells. Beyond electronics, kísíl is used in alloys, such as ferrosilicon, which is important in steelmaking. It is also a key component in glass, cement, and ceramics. In its dioxide form, silica is used in the production of glass, as an abrasive, and as a filler in plastics and rubber.