Operational Aspects of Silicon Oxidereduction Process and Their Effects on the Material and Thermal Flows Balance in Carbothermic Reactors

Abstract

The article deals with the influence of operational aspects on the performance of the reduction process in reactors with submerged electrical arc. Experiments were conducted in the large-scale laboratory conditions in one-electrode furnace with a capacity of 200 kVA at Chemical and Metallurgical Institute (Karaganda, Kazakhstan). Also limited industrial research in the furnace with the capacity of 30 MVA at LLP ‘Tau-KenTemir’ was conducted.In the process of the research, evidence was achieved that increasing the interval between the furnace top treatments up to 30 minutes, and achieving a balance between the material and thermal flows in a reactor allow increasing silicon yieldup to 10-15% minimum. Fluctuations in the phase currentstabilize. It was proved that on the basis of the concept of balancing it is possible to bringan industrial reactor out of complex crisis statesrather quickly.