Process for making aluminumsilicon alloys

Claim 1

A PROCESS OF MAKING ALLUMINUM-SILICON ALLOYS BY ELECTROTHERMAL REDUCTION OF OXIDIC RAW MATERIALS OF ALUMINUM AND SILICON, WHICH COMPRISES HEATING THE WALLS OF A GRAPHITE-WALLED REDUCTION CHAMBER TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE OF NOT LESS THAN 2050*C. AND NOT MORE THAN 2200*C. THROUGH THE ACTION OF A CURRENT PASSING THROUGH A CONDUCTING BODY OF FINELY DIVIDED ELECTRICALLY RESISTANT CARBON SURROUNDING THE REDUCTION CHAMBER, CHARGING THE REDUCTION CHAMBER WHOSE WALLS HAVE BEEN SO HEATED WITH A MIXTURE COMPRISING OXIDIC RAW MATERIALS OF ALUMINUM AND SILICON AND CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENTS, MAINTAINING THE CHARGE IN SAID CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 2050*C. TO ABOUT 2200*C. TO REDUCE THE OXIDIC RAW MATERIALS TO MOLTEN ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM CARBIDES AND WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL VOLATILIZATION, CAUSING THE MOLTEN ALLOY SUBSTANTIALLY AS SOON AS IT IS FORMED TO ESCAPE BY FREE FALL FROM SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER DIRECTLY INTO A ZONE SUBSTANTIALLY COOLER THAN SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER AND TO LEAVE THE HOT ZONE OF THE REDUCTION CHAMBER CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT FLOWING THROUGH A LESS HOT LAYER OF RAW MATERIAL MIXTURE IN WHICH ALUMINUM CARBIDE COULD BE FORMED, WHILE RETAINING THE SOLID PART OF THE CHARGE IN SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER, AND COLLECTING THE MOLTEN ALLOY ESCAPING INTO SAID COOLER ZONE ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER IN A COLLECTING CHAMBER MAINTAINED AT A TEMPERAATURE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE ALLOY WHILE IN SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER BELOW 1600*C.