Silicon Production

As silicon is not normally found in its pure state, silicon must be chemically extracted from its naturally occurring compounds. Silica is the most prevalent form of naturally occurring silicon. Silica is a strongly bonded compound and it requires a good deal of energy to extract the silicon out of the silica complex. The principal means of this extraction is via a chemical reaction at a very high temperature. 

The synthesis of silicon is fundamentally a two step process. First, use a powerful furnace to heat up the silica to temperatures over 1900 degrees celsius, and second, add carbon. At temperatures over 1900 degrees celsius, carbon will reduce the silica compound to pure silicon.