Acheson process

Acheson process is an industrial method primarily used for the production of silicon carbide (SiC), also known as carborundum. Named after its inventor, Edward Goodrich Acheson, the process was patented in the United States on February 28, 1893.

History

Edward Goodrich Acheson, an American chemist, invented the Acheson process while attempting to synthesize artificial diamonds. Although unsuccessful in his original goal, Acheson discovered that the carbon-graphite mix he used became a blue-green crystal when heated to high temperatures. This crystal was later identified as silicon carbide.

Process

The Acheson process involves the reduction of silica sand (SiO2) with carbon in an electric furnace at temperatures exceeding 2200 degrees Celsius. The raw materials are ground into a powder and mixed with carbon, then heated to produce silicon carbide. This reaction can be represented by the chemical equation: SiO2 + 3C → SiC + 2CO.

The process is conducted in an Acheson furnace, a type of resistance furnace, named after its inventor. The furnace operates in a batch process with the furnace being loaded, the reaction taking place, then the furnace being emptied and the process repeated.

Applications

Silicon carbide produced through the Acheson process has a wide range of applications due to its hardness, thermal conductivity, and chemical stability. It is used as an abrasive, in the manufacture of refractory materials, and in electronics as a semiconductor.

See also

• Carborundum
• Silicon carbide
• Edward Goodrich Acheson
• Industrial processes