The reaction between silica and carbon was investigated in argon and carbon monoxide atmospheres as a fundamental research of the direct reduction of aluminium, because silica is involved in the source materials. When the pellet consisting of SiO
2/C=1/2 was heated in argon, SiO
2 gas was evolved above 1300°C and only silicon carbide was formed by the following reactions:
SiO
2(s)+2C(s)=SiO(g)+CO(g) and SiO(g)+2C(s)=SiC(s)+CO(g).
The above reaction occurred at higher temperatures in CO atmosphere.
Metallic silicon was found by the reaction between silicon carbide and SiO gas evolved from the SiO
2–C mixture at 1900°C, and this reaction was assumed to be SiC(s)+SiO(g)=2Si(l)+CO(g).
When the pellet consisting of a SiO
2–SiC mixture was heated, metallic silicon was also formed owing to the reaction of SiO
2(l)+2SiC(s)=3Si(l)+2CO(g). Therefore the above two processes were estimated to be the main mechanisms for the production of silicon.
The fractions of SiC, Si, SiO and SiO
2 formed in the cases of SiO
2–C and SiO
2–SiC mixtures were determined up to 2000°C, and their reaction processes were considered thermodynamically.
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