Study of the reduction of silicon monoxide in arc plasma

The results of study aimed to reveal the existence of kinetic limitations on the reduction of silicon monoxide with methane carbon in arc plasma in relation to the potential use of this process in the proposed advanced technology for manufacturing pure silicon are reported. It was concluded that the amount of silicon monoxide should be two times its stoichiometric amount required for the complete consumption of the methane carbon and there are no kinetic constraints on the process of silicon monoxide reduction over a time of τ = 4–5 ms at atmospheric pressure and a temperature of T = 2240–2350 K.