METHOD OF SMELTING SILICON AND ITS ALLOYS Russian patent published in 1997 - IPC

FIELD: silicon production. SUBSTANCE: method includes loading charge consisting of silica and reducing agents into bath of ore-thermal furnace with dipped electrodes, supplying alternating current to primary contacts of power source, passing current taken off from power source secondary contacts between electrodes through charge and bottom; exciting electric arc under the charge bed; conducting reaction, and discharging product from furnace. According to invention, current supplied to power source primary contacts is rectified, current of one polarity from power source secondary contact is led to electrodes, passed through charge toward bottom, electric power in charge is decreased by appropriately increasing electric arc power, and current is returned to inverse-polarity secondary contact of power source. EFFECT: simplified structure. 1 tbl