Test Results of Crystalline Silicon Melting Process from Briquetted Monocharge Obtained from Microsilica

Currently, enterprises producing crystalline silicon are facing the formation and accumulation of large volumes of microsilica, a technogenic dusty waste formed during the melting of silicon alloys. Due to its chemical composition, this waste can be a significant raw material for metallurgical production. Therefore, this study is aimed to solve the problem of recycling microsilica. For these studies, a technology for the combined briquetting of microsilica and a carbonaceous reducing agent was developed for the production of a pilot batch of briquettes. This paper presents the results obtained from the process of testing the melting of crystalline (technical) silicon from briquetted monocharge obtained from microsilica. The tests were conducted under large-scale laboratory conditions on a 200 kVA ore-thermal furnace, where 30, 50, and 100% replacements of the traditional charge mixture with briquettes were tested. The results of this study showed that briquettes in the melting process of technical silicon can be successfully used in the range of 0 to 50%. The use of briquettes can significantly improve the technological indicators. The maximum extraction of silicon (approximately 83%) was achieved at 30% replacement. The technical and economic indicators of the process also improved. In particular, an increase in productivity was observed in comparison with tests on a traditional charge.