Gas transport mechanisms and the behaviour of impurities in the Acheson furnace for the production of silicon carbide

The Acheson process still remains the method of choice for the industrial production of silicon carbide. The furnace operates in an unsteady thermal regime thus making it difficult to determine the kinetics of the process. In the present study, FactSage Software was used to get an insight and verify the dominant reactions occurring during operation. Moreover, the effect of impurities on the overall process efficiency and product quality is also discussed. The study is intended to clarify the effect of varying the SiO(2)/C ratio on the composition of the reactants taking part in the SiC formation reaction. Further, a deeper understanding of the formation process is developed and verified.