Silicon metal production

Claim 1

AN ELECTRIC FURNACE SUBMERGED ARC PROCESS EMPLOYING A HOLLOW ELECTRODE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF SILICON FROM BOTH COARSE AND FINE PARTICLES OF SILICA AND CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT SAID PROCESS COMPRISING (1) EMBEDDING THE ELECTRODE IN A PACKED MIXTURE FORMED OF COARSE PARTICLES OF CARBONACEOUS REDUCING AGENT AND SILICA (2) PROVIDING A SUBMERGED ARC AT THE TIP OF THE ELECTRODE TO THEREBY PROVIDE A SILICON FROMING REACTION ZONE AT THE TIP OF THE ELECTRODE (3) PASSING FINE PARTICLES OF MATERIAL CORRESPONDING TO AT LEAST ONE COMPONENT OF THE PACKED MIXTURE THROUGH THE HOLLOW ELECTRODE INTO SAID SUBMERGED ARC SILICONFORMING REACTION ZONE AND (4) PASSING A FLOW OF GAS THROUGH THE HOLLOW ELECTRODE TOWARD THE TIP THEREOF SUFFICIENT TO PREVENT GASES FROM PASSING FROM THE FURNACE THROUGH THE ELECTRODE AND SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE FREE FLOW OF SAID FINE PARTICLES THROUGH THE ELECTRODE INTO SAID REACTION ZONE.