Apparatus for making aluminum silicon alloys

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC RESISTANCE FURNACE UNIT FOR MAKING ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOYS BY ELECTROTHERMAL REDUCTION OF OXIDIC RAW MATERIALS OF ALUMINUM AND SILICON BY MEANS OF A CARBONACEOUS REDUCTION AGENT, COMPRISING A FURNACE HAVING AN OUTER FURNACE PERIPHERAL WALL, A VERTICAL REDUCTION CHAMBER MADE FROM OF GRAPHITE AND LOCATED INSIDE SAID FURNACE WALL, MEANS FOR HEATING SAID CHAMBER TO A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE OXIDIC MATERIALS OF ALUMINUM AN SILICON WILL BE REDUCED BY MEANS OF A CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT ADMIXED THEREWITH TO FORM THE ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY, COMPRISING A BOYD OF FINELY DIVIDED CARBON IN WHICH SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER IS EMBEDDED SUBSTANTIALLY FILLING THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID CHAMBER AND SAID PERIPHERAL FURNACE WALL, AND ELECTRODE MEANS CONTACTING SAID BODY OF CARBON FOR SUPPLYING HEATING CURRENT TO SAID BODY OF CARBON WHEREBY SAID BODY OF CARBON SERVES AS A HORIZONTAL ELECTRICAL RESISTANCE BETWEEN THE LOWER PART OF THE REDUCTION CHAMBER AND SAID ELECTRODE MEANS, SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER HAVING AN OPENING NEAR THE TOP AND A FLAT BOTTOM CONTAINING A PLURALITY OF SPACED PERFORATIONS THROUGH WHICH THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY IS DISCHARGED BY GRAVITY AS SOON AS IT IS FORMED IN SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER, A SEPARATING CHAMBER INSIDE SAID FURNACE WALL DISPOSED DIRECTLY BELOW SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER AND EMBEDDED IN SAID BODY OF CARBON TO RECEIVE THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY DISCHARGED FROM SAID REDUCING CHAMBER, AND A COLLECTING CHAMBER FOR THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY DISPOSED DIRECTLY BELOW SAID SEPARATING CHAMBER IN POSITION TO RECEIVE THE MOLTEN ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOY DISCHARGED FROM SAID SEPARATING CHAMBER, MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE REACTION OF THE ALUMINUM AND SILICON IN THE ALLOY WITH THE CARBON TO FORM THE CARBIDES THEREOF CANNOT TAKE PLACE, AND COMPRISING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER WITH ITS UPPER PART PROJECTING PARTIALLY INTO SAID FURNACE AND EMBEDDED IN SAID CARBON AND ITS LOWER PART PROJECTING THROUGH THE BOTTOM OF THE FURNACE, AND A THERMAL INSULATION AROUND THE PROJECTING LOWER PART OF SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER, AND MEANS FOR MAINTAINING SAID SEPARATING ROOM AT A TEMPERATURE WHICH IS INTERMEDIATE THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID REDUCTION CHAMBER AND THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID COLLECTING CHAMBER, AND WHICH IS BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH A REACTION WITH THE ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLY AND CARBON WITH FORMATION OF CARBIDE CAN TAKE PLACE AND INCLUDING SAID BODY OF CARBON IN WHICH SAID SEPARATING CHAMBER IS EMBEDDED.