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Ferrosilicon: Silica, Carbon and Scrap Iron Smelted with Bituminous Coal in an Electric Furnace (Furness, US 1,284,645)
Carbon pulls the oxygen out of silica in an electric furnace, and the silicon alloys with iron in the charge. Furness swapped part of the coke or charcoal for lumps of bituminous coal, which keep the charge open and poorly conducting, so the electrodes sit deep and the heat stays in.
Result: ferrosilicon, tapped from the bottom of the furnace.
Source: Furness, US 1,284,645 (1918). Not given: silicon content, iron proportion. Picture drawn by Youblob.
Advanced
Factory process
Instructions
1
1
Weigh the charge
Weigh the charge
Crushed quartzite (silica), charcoal or coke, and scrap steel or iron ore. Carbon: 24 parts per 60 parts of silica in theory, slightly more in practice; more if iron ore is used. Ours: quartz sand, iron filings, charcoal.
Materials for this step:
Quartz Sand60 parts
Iron Filings1 as requiredTools needed:
Charcoal
Balance Scale2
2
Add lumps of bituminous coal
Add lumps of bituminous coal
Supply 20-40 % of the total carbon as bituminous coal (10 % or more works). It can go in coarse, lumps up to fist size, keeping the charge open to the gas.
Tools needed:
Bituminous Coal3
3
Smelt with deeply bedded electrodes
Smelt with deeply bedded electrodes
Feed the charge into an electric furnace so the electrodes stay buried deep in it. The silica is reduced, carbon monoxide burns off at the top, and the alloy collects at the bottom. Ours: electric arc furnace.
Tools needed:
Electric Arc Furnace4
4
Tap the ferrosilicon
Tap the ferrosilicon
Tap the molten ferrosilicon from the bottom of the furnace and let it set.
Tools needed:
Electric Arc FurnaceMaterials
2- 60 partsPlaceholder
- 1 as requiredPlaceholder
Tools Required
4- Placeholder
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