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US 5,873,993 AGranted
Method and apparatus for the production of silicium metal, silumin and aluminium metal
OwnerJan Stuberghinventor
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OwnerJan Stuberghinventor
Estimating the term…
The present invention concerns a procedure for continuous or batch production in one or possibly more steps in one or more furnaces of silicon metal (Si), possibly silumin (AlSi alloys) and/or aluminium metal (Al) in the required conditions in a melting bath, preferably using feldspar or feldspar containing rocks dissolved in a fluoride and process equipment for implementing the procedure. Highly pure silicon is produced by electrolysis (step I) in a first furnace comprising a replaceable carbon anode (3) located at the bottom of the furnace and a carbon cathode (1) located at the top of the furnace. For the production of silumin the Si-poor residual electrolyte from step I is transferred to a second furnace and aluminium metal is added (step II). Aluminium metal is produced in a third furnace (step III) by electrolysis after Si has been removed in step I and possibly in step II. The present invention also concerns the production of silicon, possibly silumin and/or aluminium by using process equipment comprising tow or more furnaces integrated to form one unit with (an) intermediate partition wall(s) which is/are designated to transfer the electrolyte from one furnace to another.
A process for continuous or batch production in one or more steps in one or more furnaces of silicon metal (Si), in a melting bath, using feldspar or feldspar containing rocks dissolved in a fluoride, characterised in that highly pure silicon metal is produced by electrolysis in a first step (step I) in a bath with a carbon cathode (1) placed at the top of the bath and a carbon anode (3) placed at the bottom of the bath, CO.sub.2 gas is generated at the anode (3) during electrolysis and flows upwards through the bath and being brought into contact with silicon which is formed at the cathode (1) which contributes to removing contamination from the Si particles produced which are attached to the cathode, and, at the same time, moves the detached Si particles to the surface of the bath to extract Si metal;
Process equipment for continuous or batch production in one or more steps in one or more furnaces of silicon metal (Si), in a melting bath, using feldspar or feldspar containing rocks dissolved in a fluoride, characterised in that it comprises at least two furnaces, a first one for production of silicon metal (step I) comprising a container (8) where the walls (4) of the container are insulated by silicon, an anode (3) consisting of at least one piece of carbon arranged in the base of the container (8), a vertical piece of carbon is attached to the piece of carbon or pieces of. carbon which comprise the anode (3) and said vertical piece of carbon being surrounded by insulating material like silicon, and at least one cathode (1) of carbon which is arranged at the top of the container (8).
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.