About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Thermodynamics for Sustainability: An EPD Symposium in Honor of Kazuki Morita
|
| Presentation Title |
Hydrogen Plasma Quartz Reduction Using SwinH2+ Reactor for Silicon Production: Preliminary Investigation |
| Author(s) |
Bima Satritama, Duy Quang Pham, Reiza Mukhlis, Christopher C. Berndt, Geoffrey Brooks, Mark I. Pownceby, Andrew S. M. Ang, M. Akbar Rhamdhani |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Bima Satritama |
| Abstract Scope |
Since molecular hydrogen is not thermodynamically feasible for reducing SiO2, hydrogen plasma offers a promising route for decarbonizing silicon production due to its greater reductive potential. A novel hydrogen plasma reactor, SwinH2+, featuring a 40 kW plasma torch, 3D-printed copper shroud, continuous powder feeding, and vertical reactor with powder collector, was developed to investigate quartz reduction. In initial trials with 10% H2-Ar plasma, 5 g/min quartz powders (98.3% SiO2) were reacted for 2 minutes, resulting in a mixture of three products: brown powder, white crust, and black crust. SEM-EDS analyses revealed partial reduction of silica in brown powder and black crust (up to 63 wt% Si), along with crystalline silicon XRD peak in brown powder deposits on reactor walls. Amorphous silica was identified by XRD for most products, likely formed from melted quartz or decomposed SiO(g) intermediates. These results suggest the potential of hydrogen plasma to overcome thermodynamic barriers for carbon-free silicon production. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Extraction and Processing, Pyrometallurgy, Sustainability |