Alleima is contributing to the fossil-free energy transformation through its tube offering that includes Sanicro® 31HT. The alloy enables high performance and ensures the purity of polysilicon, which is essential for solar energy.
During 2022, tube orders were received for the high-temperature alloy Sanicro® 31HT for polysilicon production. Our customer uses this alloy in the final stages of production.
Sanicro® 31HT from Alleima is an austenitic nickel-iron-chromium alloy with good structural stability at temperatures as high as 1,100 degrees Celsius. It has very good resistance to oxidation, combustion gases, carburization, and nitrogen absorption. The alloy also offers good weldability and high creep strength. 
It is these characteristics that make Sanicro® 31HT tubes highly suitable for a variety of industries and applications within furnace tubes, pigtails, muffle tubes, and solar energy, among others.
Sanicro® 31HT tubes are ideal for polysilicon manufacturing which is a key raw material for the growing solar energy industry. “We see exponential growth in the deployment of solar in the energy mix which links directly to the increased demand for polysilicon,” says Glenn Darley, Marketing & Sales Director, Alleima China.
We see exponential growth in the deployment of solar in the energy mix which links directly to the increased demand for polysilicon.
Polysilicon is
a highly pure form of silicon with excellent semiconductor properties. It is an essential raw material in the making of solar photovoltaic (PV) cells used in solar panels. The more pure the polysilicon, the more efficient the solar panel is, which is why Alleima has been gaining repeat business from one of the world’s largest polysilicon and solar panel manufacturers.
“Sanicro® 31HT has very good structural stability at high temperatures so it has a consistent and reliable performance in critical equipment used to make polysilicon. Any corrosion of material can lead to a reduction in the purity of the polysilicon,” Darley explains. “The other important aspect is the surface finish on both the inside and outside of our tube. We supply tubes with a very smooth inner and outer surface which also improves operation and purity.”
Alleima continues to work with polysilicon manufacturers and the respective design institutes on material specifications to further maximize the performance of the materials in solar applications.