FORMATION OF ALUMINUM-SILICON ALLOYS FROM FELDSPARS - DETERMINATION OF SILICON, LIGHT, AND HEAVY-ELEMENTS IN SILUMIN BY SCANNING ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

Silumin has directly been deposited from feldspars by thermal reductio n with aluminum metal at 1000 degrees C. The six analyzed samples of s ilumin alloys contained 10.8 to 15.3 mass pet silicon in aluminum. The amount of iron deposited was 0.17 to 0.40 mass pet, magnesium was in the range of 0 to 1.8 mass pet, and sodium was 0.35 to 0.55 mass pet. The amounts of titanium, calcium, and potassium were quite close to th e detection limit for these elements, which is proposed to be 0.0 to 0 .1 mass pet. The sulfur and phosphorous concentrations were too low to be measured by scanning electron microscopy. Analyses were made by sc an plot and spot tests of both the aluminum matrix and silicon crystal s.