Silica to high purity silicon production process
AssigneeHpq-Silicon Resources Inc.
InventorsAli SHAHVERDI, Pierre CARABIN
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Abstract
An apparatus and a process for the production of high purity silicon from silica containing material such as quartz or quartzite, using a vacuum electric arc furnace, are disclosed.
Claims31
An apparatus for producing silicon from silica, comprising a vacuum electric arc furnace adapted to receive feedstock therein, a vacuum system for providing vacuum in the furnace, wherein a plasma arc created in the furnace is adapted to provide energy to reduce silica to silicon.
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The process of claim 31, wherein gas coming from the cyclone is adapted to pass through a gas cooler-expander, where the gas is adapted to be cooled down to reach temperatures below 80° C., and the particulates, from the condensates that are volatile in the cyclone, are adapted to settle down and to be collected in a collection box, and wherein gas coming out of the gas cooler-expander is adapted to pass through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtration system for capturing very fine particulates, e.g. <5 μm, escaping from the cyclone and the gas cooler-expander.
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A system for reducing silica to silicon, which uses a combination of a plasma arc and vacuum, to produce high purity silicon from silica containing materials, such as quartz or quartzite;
- wherein a vacuum electric arc furnace is provided, such that the plasma arc produces a silicon melt from the silica containing materials;
- and wherein, to enhance a volatilization rate of impurities contained in the silica containing materials, volatilizing agents, such as a chlorine containing material, are provided and are adapted to be injected through at least one hollow electrode into a melt produced in the furnace.
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A process for reducing silica containing materials to silicon, comprising the steps of:
- providing a vacuum arc furnace;
- feeding silica containing materials into the furnace;
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- heating the silica containing materials in the furnace to produce a silicon metal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.