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Ferroboron: Colemanite Reduced by Ferrosilicon above 2000 °C in an Arc Furnace (Hansen, GE, US 982,135, 1911)
Ferroboron should carry little carbon, so Hansen reduced the boron mineral colemanite with silicon instead of coke. The silicon takes the oxygen, joins the lime as a calcium silicate slag, and the boron goes into the iron of the ferrosilicon.
Result: ferroboron, low in carbon, under a clean slag.
Source: Hansen, US 982,135 (1911). Not given: weights, boron content. Picture drawn by Youblob.
Advanced
1 day
Instructions
1
1
Dehydrate the colemanite at 450 °C
Dehydrate the colemanite at 450 °C
Heat colemanite to about 450 °C in a suitable container to drive off its water.
Materials for this step:
Colemanite1 as requiredTools needed:
Muffle Furnace2
2
Powder and mix with ferrosilicon
Powder and mix with ferrosilicon
Grind it and mix with powdered ferrosilicon: enough silicon to reduce all the boron and slag off the lime. The amount depends on the silicon content of the ferrosilicon.
Materials for this step:
Ferrosilicon1 as requiredTools needed:
Mortar and Pestle3
3
Bind and press into pellets
Bind and press into pellets
Mix the powder with a binder, e.g. water glass, and press it into pellets.
Tools needed:
Water Glass (Sodium Silicate Solution)
Pill Press4
4
Reduce above 2000 °C
Reduce above 2000 °C
Heat the pellets above 2000 °C, e.g. in a Moissan arc furnace (a ferrosilicon-type resistance furnace also works). Silicon reduces the boron; the calcium silicate slag separates cleanly from the ferroboron.
Tools needed:
Electric Arc FurnaceMaterials
2- 1 as requiredPlaceholder
- 1 as requiredPlaceholder
Tools Required
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