Method for producing low carbon ferrochrome from chromite ore and low carbon ferrochrome produced thereby

A method of producing a metal or metal alloy from feed materials located within a chamber in a plasma arc furnace, wherein said metal or metal alloy comprises low carbon ferrochrome, said method comprising:

• providing three individual and electrically isolated DC arc graphite cathode electrodes in said furnace above said feed materials in said chamber;
• providing a controlled and controllable constant DC output current to each of said electrically isolated DC arc graphite cathode electrodes from plasma power supplies to initiate a respective plasma arc from each of said DC arc graphite cathode electrodes to heat said feed materials in said chamber to produce a molten material bath in said chamber;
• individually establishing the height of each of said DC arc graphite cathode electrodes with respect to said feed materials until a desired voltage is established to produce said molten material bath in said chamber, said voltage varying as a function of the sum of the resistance of the plasma arc above said molten bath, and the resistance of the plasma arc in said molten material bath;
• and
• stirring of said molten material bath, said stirring resulting from current flowing through said molten material bath producing joule heating coupled with a magnetic effect of current flow through said molten bath to cause a local ripple effect or stirring motion in said molten material bath.