Silicon-28 (Si-28)

Silicon is a hard and fragile crystal with a gray blue metallic luster on its appearance, and it is also a tetravalent metalloid semiconductor. Silicon is one of the elements in Group 14 of the periodic table: carbon is ranked above it, followed by germanium, tin, lead, and curium. Its melting point and boiling point are 1414 degrees Celsius and 3265 degrees Celsius, respectively, ranking second among metalloids, second only to boron. Silicon ranks eighth among the most common elements in the universe, but its elemental distribution in the Earth's crust is very rare. It is widely distributed in soil, sand, asteroids, and planets in various forms such as silica or silicates. More than 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate materials, making silicon the second most abundant element in the crust, second only to oxygen.

Elemental silicon also has a significant impact on the world economy. Silicon is usually processed together with natural minerals and has a wide range of uses, including clay, silica sand, and stone used in the construction industry, as well as mortar and plaster in cement. It also contains silicates and can be mixed with silica sand and gravel to form concrete for use in walkways, foundations, and roads. They are also used for white ceramics, such as porcelain, and can be used to manufacture traditional quartz sand soda lime glass and many other special glasses. The most well-known use of silicon is to synthesize synthetic polymers based on poly (siloxane) polymers. Some silicon compounds, such as silicon carbide, can be used as abrasives or high-strength ceramic components. Most ionized silicon is used in steelmaking, aluminum casting, and high-quality chemical industries (usually in the production of gaseous silica). More significantly, the semiconductor electronics industry uses a very small amount of high-purity silicon (less than 10%), which is a necessary element in integrated circuits, and most computers, mobile phones, and modern technology rely on it.