The company RELTEC and the Technical University UMMC have been working for several years on the development of equipment for obtaining pure tellurium.

Last year, RELTEC developed and delivered to UMMC a set of equipment including a vacuum induction melter model UIPV-10-200/440 which allows to purify tellurium according to the zone refining technology.

Tellurium is a semiconductor used in the manufacture of many alloys (copper, lead, iron, etc.). When hot, it becomes plastic and, when added to metals, improves their properties and casting qualities.

For the past year, UMMC has been carrying out a series of tests and trials which have revealed the need to modernize the equipment supplied. In particular, the need has emerged for an additional power source that would extend the foundry’s technological capabilities. During the commissioning work, the technology for obtaining ultra-pure tellurium was discovered and preparatory work was carried out to obtain ultra-pure antimony using a similar technology.

Antimony is a semi-metal with a coarse grain structure. It is used in the semiconductor industry in the manufacture of diodes and infrared detectors. It is also a component of lead alloys which increases their hardness and mechanical strength. Pure antimony is used as an additive in the production of semiconductors, e.g. based on germanium, and is also used as a raw material for antimonides – alloys of metals with antimony (AlSb, GaSb, InSb) – in semiconductor materials.

This teamwork between RELTEC and the UMMC Technical University will then make it possible to set up an industrial plant for the UMMC and thus expand the company’s production to obtain ultra-pure semiconductors and semi-metals.