SILICON POWDER AND A METHOD FOR PRODUCING SILICON POWDER BY GAS ATOMIZATION OF SILICON

The present invention relates to a silicon powder, which is characterised in that it is produced by gas atomizing of molten silicon and having a particle size between 0.1 and 1000 mu m, a specific area between 0.001 and 1 m /g, and the following chemical composition in percent by weight: 0.1 - 1% iron, 0.01 - 1% aluminium, 0 - 8% copper, 0 - 1% calcium, 0 - 1% zinc, 0 - 1% tin, 0 - 5% boron, 0 - 0.5% phosphorus, 0 - 0.5% sodium, 0 - 0.5% lithium, 0 - 0.5% potassium, 0 - 0.5% magnesium, 0 - 0.5% strontium, 0 - 0.5% barium, 0 - 0.5% beryllium, the rest being silicon and less than 0.3% impurities as Ti, V, Cr, Mo, W and Zr. The silicon powder is produced continuously by a method comprising the following steps: a) continuous production of silicon in an electric smelting furnace, b) refining and alloying of the molten silicon in a metal treatment vessel, c) continuous supply of molten silicon from the metal treatment vessel to a holding furnace, d) continuous supply of molten silicon to a closed atomising apparatus wherein the molten silicon is atomised by means of an inert gas supplied from a pressure vessel or a compressor unit, e) continuous removal of atomised silicon powder from the atomising apparatus, f) separation of atomised silicon powder and inert gas in a solid/gas separator, g) screening of the silicon powder into preset particle size fractions, h) supply of the different particle size fractions of silicon powder to closed product silos, i) filtration of the inert gas from step f) for removing any remaining solid particles from the inert gas, j) cooling and compressing the inert gas from step i) and recycling of the compressed inert gas to the pressure vessel or directly to the atomising apparatus. ,