Electric furnace without lateral and/or frontal walls - holds charge in form of a mound, esp. for silicon carbide prodn

In a process for prodn. of SiC from sand and coke in an open top furnace in which current is produced via carbon electrodes and the resistance of the bed of matl. produces heat to initiate the reaction. Considerable reduction in capital cost is achieved by elimination of lateral and/or frontal walls, by the use of wheeled vehicles for charging and discharging, and by the elimination of the need for a building to house the furnace. The furnace may consist only of end walls housing the electrodes. The charge is piled between the end walls in a natural mound. Alternatively, one end wall with an electrode is used, the other electrode being at the base of the mound, or no end walls are used, both electrodes being at the base of the mound. The furnaces may be charged and discharged by wheeled vehicles. The installation operates satisfactorily out of doors.