@richardallison8745

1 year ago

I used to work in several Silicon plants in central Alabama. These plants would take in silica pebble (SiO2) and preferably with low to no iron (Fe) contamination. This pebble would be charged into a submerged electric arc furnace with petroleum coke and wood chips. The electric arc melts the silica and drives off the the carbon in the petroleum coke. Si-O2= CO or carbon monoxide. The woodchips control the electric current in the charge. This is a continuous process where pebble, coke and wood chips are fed at the top of the furnace and periodically tapped at the bottom. The liquid silicon metal is cast into chills or molds that are made of cast iron that are round like a gigantic disk that is 10 ft. in diameter and 6 inches deep with a taper on the edges. When the molten silicon metal solidifies, the mold is flipped over by a crane with a shiny metal disk. Then an iron ball is dropped by the crane to break up the silicon disk into pieces where these pieces are further processed in a jaw crusher and screened to different sizes. The piece in the video is the material that was taken after the silicon is crushed. Silicon is melted above 3000 deg F and is still molten at 2750 deg F. This silicon is almost 99% pure. The fume or dust collected at the top of the furnace in the baghouse contains some silicon and traces of iron which is not desired in the metal. I worked for Ohio Ferro Alloys and Globe Metallurgical as a consultant for over 20 years. There is a new producer in central Mississippi. You should be able to melt the silicon metal easily with acetylene and oxygen or propane and oxygen.

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