Abstract: A process for the production of aluminum characterized by the steps of chlorinating a material containing chemically combined aluminum and silicon with chlorine to produce aluminum trichloride and silicon tetrachloride, reacting aluminum trichloride with manganese to produce elemental aluminum and manganese chloride, reducing silicon tetrachloride to yield silicon, oxidizing the manganese chloride to produce manganese oxide, and reducing the manganese oxide with silicon to produce manganese which is recycled to the second step for reducing aluminum trichloride.

Abstract: A high temperature arc heater and reaction chamber for liquid state material processing and collection characterized by at least one arc heater connected tangentially to a circular reaction chamber where separation of liquid and gases occurs centrifugally and in which chamber an inner wall operates at relatively high temperature to limit the thickness of material buildup such as titanium or zirconium which solidifies on the wall.

Abstract: Arc heater apparatus and method for producing acetylene from heavy hydrocarbons characterized by arc heater means for producing arc heated plasma gas forming a downstream reaction zone, wall means forming a plenum chamber having a substantially vertical axis and surrounding the reaction zone, inlet means upstream of the arc heated plasma gas for introducing heavy hydrocarbons into the chamber, and the walls of the chamber flaring downwardly outwardly to minimize the deposit of solid reaction products on the walls.

Abstract: A method for doping solar grade silicon characterized by the steps of feeding into an arc heated gas stream a quantity of a metal reductant such as an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal and also feeding into the stream a quantity of a silicon halide and of a corresponding halide of a doping agent such as arsenic to react with the metal reductant to produce reaction products including a salt of a metal reductant and a mixture of liquid silicon and doping agent, and separating the mixture from the salt of the metal reductant.

Abstract: A method for the production of single crystal silicon characterized by the steps of feeding into an arc heater a quantity of uncontaminated silicon halide to react with hydrogen or a metal reductant, such as sodium, to produce reaction products including liquid silicon and a gaseous salt of the reductant, depositing the liquid silicon on a downwardly inclined surface, and attaching a single seed crystal of silicon to the liquid silicon and withdrawing the single seed crystal from the liquid silicon so as to propagate a large single crystal.

Abstract: A process for converting silicon intermediates to high purity silicon by an arc heater characterized by the thermal reduction of one of several potential purified silicon intermediate compounds using an arc heater as the reduction energy source and using hydrogen as the reductant.

Abstract: A process for producing high purity silicon characterized by the employment of an electric arc heater into which a silicon halide is injected together with a metal reductant such as an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal which are reacted together by projecting them tangentially into a reaction chamber to cause the formation of liquid silicon and a gaseous metal halide salt which are separated in a suitable manner such as centrifugally or by condensation.

Abstract: A process for reducing a metal from a metal halide characterized by the steps of feeding into the arc heated stream of an arc heater a quantity of a reactant metal such as an alkali or alkaline-earth metal, feeding into the arc stream a quantity of a metal halide, which metal has a melting point higher than the boiling point of the co-product salt formed by reduction of the metal, the co-products being a liquid elemental metal and a gaseous salt, projecting the co-products into a reaction chamber tangentially to cause the liquid metal to separate centrifugally from the lighter, gaseous salt, and depositing the liquid metal in an associated receptacle.

Abstract: A process for the production of magnetic spheres from grit of magnetite ore by introducing the grit into an arc heated gas jet, thus heating the grit to a temperature of at least 1600.degree. C, and allowing the melted magnetite droplets to spheroidize and cool to a solid state.

Abstract: A two-stage process for converting metal-bearing ore to a metal or an alloy characterized by the steps of, first, partially reducing an ore having a relatively higher valence state to an intermediate product of a lower valence and, second, treating the intermediate product in an arc heater having a carbon-bearing reductant atmosphere in an amount in excess of that required to reduce the intermediate product to the metal form, whereby to produce a substantially pure metal or an alloy, such as ferrochromium, and an unused excess reducing gas or derivative thereof which are recirculated to the first step to assist in the partial reduction.

Abstract: A three-phase arc heater system characterized by two axially spaced, sustantially cylindrical electrodes forming a first intermediate gap, a third electrode forming a second intermediate gap upstream of the first gap, means for channeling gas to the first and second gap, and a three-phase delta-connected power source having a ground conductor connected to the downstream electrode.

Abstract: The arc heater of this invention is characterized by a pair of axially spaced substantially cylindrical electrodes which form a narrow gap between adjacent ends thereof. The gap communicates between a peripheral plenum chamber and the arc chamber formed by the electrodes, and the gap is included inwardly and downwardly toward the outlet end of the arc chamber in order to prevent solid particles from entering and clogging the gap as the particles travel through the arc chamber. The arc heater also includes a third cylindrical electrode disposed at the inlet end of the arc chamber.

Abstract: An arc heater system as a high energy heat source characterized by a housing forming a plenum chamber, a plurality of arc heaters mounted on the housing circumferentially and extending substantially radially thereon, each arc heater comprising a downstream electode adjacent to the housing and an upstream electrode remote therefrom and an intermediate gap therebetween, a polyphase wye-connected power system comprising one conductor for each phase and a neutral conductor, the upstream electrodes of each arc heater being connected to the phase conductors, the downstream electrodes being connected to the neutral conductor, whereby arc heated jet streams from the arc heaters merge and project into the housing.

Abstract: A process for converting naturally occurring hydrocarbon fuels into gaseous products characterized by the steps of introducing a hydrocarbon gas into the arc chamber of an arc heater having an operating temperature therein sufficiently high to produce free hydrocarbon radical ions from the hydrocarbon gas, and feeding into the arc chamber naturally occurring coal or oil to produce a stream of gaseous hydrocarbon fuel.

Abstract: Tricalcium phosphate is made by reacting phosphate rock and a defluorinating reagent comprising steam, in the presence of a hyperheated heat transfer gas mixture comprising CO and H.sub.2, at a temperature between about 1500.degree. - 2200.degree. C, and then separating the solid and gaseous materials.

Abstract: A process for the beneficiation and reduction of complex metallic ores characterized by the step of first preheating a complex ore containing a plurality of metal oxides in a reducing gas atmosphere at a temperature sufficient to reduce at least one oxide of a metal having a lower affinity for oxygen than at least another metal oxide present, separating the reduced metal from the oxides of the unreduced metal, and treating the remaining unreduced metal oxides in an arc heater in a reducing gas atmosphere to reduce said other metal oxides to elemental form.

Abstract: A process for the production of metal powder from an ore by direct reduction in an arc heater characterized by the steps of introducing a finely divided ore into an arc heated plasma gas to effect reduction of the ore to small liquid droplets of elemental metal in a reducing atmosphere and quenching the metal droplets to form solid metal powder, the metal having a melting point of not more than the temperature of the chemical reduction reaction, such metal being iron, chromium, vanadium, manganese, cobalt or nickel.

Abstract: A process for the production of metal powder from an ore by direct reduction in an arc heater characterized by the steps of introducing a finely divided ore into a plasma arc to effect direct reduction of the ore to small solid particles of elemental metal in a reducing atmosphere and quenching the metal particles to form solid metal powder, the metal having a melting point greater than the temperature of the chemical reduction reaction, such metal being, for example, molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum, or niobium.

Abstract: A process for the reduction of zinc roast in which pulverized particles of zinc roast are fed into an arc heated jet of carbon monoxide, whereby the particles are heated and reduced from zinc oxide to zinc vapor which in turn is quenched with pulverized carbon in an endothermic reaction to yield additional carbon monoxide, after which the vaporized zinc is cooled to room temperature.