System for recycling fines to hollow electrode

摘要

The present invention is directed to process and apparatus for mixing finely divided calcium carbide and finely divided lime and carbonaceous material and for feeding the mixture down through the aperture of a hollow electrode in a calcium carbide electric furnace. In a preferred embodiment the finely divided calcium carbide is supplied to the aperture of the hollow electrode by a first conveyor and a fine feed mix of lime and carbonaceous material is supplied to the aperture of the hollow electrode by a second separate conveyor and the two are mixed in fluidized condition and fed down through the aperture of the electrode into the reaction zone of the furnace. Carbon monoxide off-gas from the furnace is preferably used for fluidizing the respective particles.