Electric smelting process for production of silicon-aluminum alloys

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF CONTINUALLY PRODUCING SILICONALUMINUM ALLOY IN AN ELECTRIC FURNACE BY REDUCTION OF ALUMINA AND SILICA-CONTAINING RAW MATERIAL WITH CARBON, IN WHICH A MIXTURE OF SAID RAW MATERIAL AND CARBON IS FED ONTO AND CONTINUOUSLY MAINTAINED UPON A SMELTING ZONE, HEAT IS CONTINUOUSLY APPLIED TO THE MIXTURE IN THE SMELTING ZONE, AND MOLTEN PRODUCT IS TAPPED FROM THE FURNACE, SAID RAW MATERIAL HAVING A MELTING TEMPERATURE BELOW ITS REDUCTION TEMPERATURE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES SUFFICIENTLY DILUTING THE RAW MATERIAL IN SAID MIXTURE WITH BULKY CARBONACEOUS MATTER TO RETARD THE RATE AT WHICH THE RAW MATERIAL ENTERS THE SMELTING ZONE SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE SMELTING ZONE IS INCREASED TO THE REQUIRED REDUCTION TEMPERATURE FOR THE RAW MATERIAL, SAID DILUTION BEING A MINIMUM OF ABOUT 5.6 CUBIC FEET OF SAID CARBONACEOUS MATTER PER 100 POUNDS OF SAID RAW MATERIAL AND SUCH VOLUME OF SAID CARBONACEOUS MATTER CONTAINING NOT MORE CARBON THAN THE CORRECT AMOUNT REQUIRED FOR THE REDUCTION OF SAID RAW MATERIAL.