below the lowest heating zone the temperature of the cool region of the melting vessel should not fall below the melting point of silicon as the silicon might otherwise crystallize in one particularly preferred variation of the process one or more seed crystals preferably of silicon carbide are placed on the inside of the cooled bottom of the melting vessel these seed crystals assist the growth of silicon carbide crystals from the melt it is advantageous to keep the silicon carbide crystals at a temperature in the region of 1420 u00b0 to 1500 u00b0 c since crystallization of silicon may occur at temperatures below this range as already mentioned in another preferred embodiment of the process the silicon melt is kept in a vacuum or under inert gas to minimize the introduction of impurities into the melt and unwanted reactions of the silicon with atmospheric constituents when graphite crucibles are used the carbon content can rapidly and economically be reduced to the limit of solubility in the molten silicon by using melting vessels made of refractory ceramics such as silicon nitride or with some reservations also quartz the carbon content can also be reduced to below the limit of solubility in molten silicon this invention further relates to a low carbon silicon obtainable by the process according to the invention this low carbon silicon characteristically has a carbon content in the range of from 60 to 95 ppma while the amounts of other impurities are generally not reduced by.