Abstract
The article identifies the key sources of iron and boron impurities entering silicon metal under industrial smelting conditions in Submerged arc furnace (SAF). Impurity rocks in the composition of quartz, the main raw material for the production of silicon metal, were studied using the X-ray fluorescence method, and their visual classification was carried out. It has been established that the energy of secondary characteristic x-ray radiation (CXR) for boron and iron contained in the feedstock is 3.1 and 6.3 keV, respectively. A relationship was found between the intensity of CXR pulses and the concentration of iron and boron impurities. The features of the distribution of these elements between metallurgical phases (silicon metal, slag and gas phase) when used in the smelting process with and without borate flux (colemanite) have been established. Under industrial conditions, it has been established that the transfer coefficient of boron into silicon metal is reduced when using borate flux from 76.3% to 58.36%. The transfer of iron into silicon metal from the charge remains at the same level with a slight downward trend from 93.18% to 92.12%. This may be explained by a reduction in the contact time of the molten slag accumulating on the bottom with liquid silicon metal. There is also a reduction in the consumption of charge materials when using colemanite from 6.07 to 5.635 t/t of silicon metal due to the reduction in the time of cleaning the smelting bath from viscous slag accumulated on the bottom.
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All data reported in this research can be obtained from the corresponding author upon request.
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02 April 2024
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-024-02943-8
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The research was funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Grant No. AP19177929).
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All four authors contributed significantly to the conception, design, and execution of the study, as well as the analysis and interpretation of the data. Each author has been actively involved in drafting and critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content. The specific contributions of each author are outlined below:
Alexandr Ilin: Contributed to the design of the study, conducted experiments, and played a key role in funding acquisition. Participated in drafting and revising the manuscript.
Nikolay Zobnin: Contributed to the study's conception, design, and coordination. Participated in data interpretation and manuscript revision. Provided valuable intellectual input throughout the research process.
Irina Pikalova: Provided substantial contributions to the acquisition of data, data analysis, and interpretation. Played an active role in drafting and critically revising the manuscript for important intellectual content.
Nina Nemchinova: Participated in the design and coordination of the study, contributed to data analysis, and played a crucial role in manuscript preparation and revision.
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Ilin, A.A., Zobnin, N.N., Pikalova, I.A. et al. Distribution of Iron and Boron Between Silicon Metal Smelting Products in Industrial Saf using Borate Fluxes. Silicon 16, 3085–3092 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-024-02895-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12633-024-02895-z