Study of the Properties of Dust from the Production of Prebaked Anodes for its Use as a Reducing Agent in Silicon Smelting

Abstract

The production of metallurgical silicon is carried out in ore-thermal furnaces by reducing silica-containing raw materials with a carbon reducing agent, the most reactive of which is expensive and scarce charcoal. For the purpose of possible partial replacement of charcoal in the charge for silicon smelting, we conducted studies on the properties of carbon-containing technogenic raw materials formed in the process of obtaining pre-fired anodes for aluminium production. The object of research was 2 samples of dust from the mixing and pressing compartment: from the aspiration units and from the cleaning of the shop. The characteristics of these samples (carbon content, granulometric composition, humidity) were determined. To activate these carbon materials, ultrahigh-frequency processing was used at various capacities and durations. When studying the reactivity of the dust samples by the method of heteroelement analysis using the Vario MICRO cube analyzer, it was found that a sample of dust from aspiration plants treated with ultrahigh-frequency radiation at a power of 80 W and a duration of 40 min more actively interacts with oxygen to form CO2, which makes it possible to recommend this carbon-containing technogenic material as a reducing agent for smelting metallurgical silicon.