TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Compound: The gaseous Si chloride compound that is used in the purification step is SiCl4. Preferred Process: The contacting and the separating steps are performed simultaneously, by operating them at a temperature above the boiling point of Zn-chloride, which evaporates. The Si-bearing metal phase that is obtained in the contacting step, contains at least part of the Si in the solid state. The cooling step of the Si-bearing metal phase (preferably to a temperature of 420-600degrees C), is inserted before the purification step, thus converting at least part of the Si present as a solute in the Si-bearing metal phase that is obtained in the contacting step, to the solid state. The Si present in the solid state is separated, forming the Si-bearing metal phase that is further processed in the purification step. The contacting step is performed by injecting SiCl4 into a bath comprising molten Zn, at a flow rate 10-50 kg/minutes/m2 of bath surface. The purification step is followed by a vacuum evaporation step. The process further involves: subjecting the separated Zn-chloride to molten salt electrolysis, thus recovering Zn and chlorine; recycling the Zn to the SiCl4 contacting step; and recycling the chlorine to a Si chlorination process for the production of SiCl4; a single solidification step of the purified liquid Si, using a method selected from crystal pulling, directional solidification, and ribbon growth. The Zn that is vaporised in the purification step, is condensed and recycled to the SiCl4 contacting step. The fraction of SiCl4 that exits the contacting and the purification steps un-reacted, is recycled to the SiCl4 contacting step. The process (M1) involves: granulation of the purified liquid Si; feeding the granules to a melting furnace; and applying a single solidification step, using a method chosen from the group of crystal pulling, directional solidification, and ribbon growth. The solid material is wafered and further processed to solar cells. EXAMPLE - Metallic Zn (8500 g) was heated to 850degrees C in a graphite reactor. The height of the bath is about 19 cm and its diameter is 9 cm. A Minipuls (RTM: peristaltic pump) was used to introduce SiCl4 in the reactor via a quartz tube. The immersed extremity of the tube was fitted with a porous plug made of quartz. The SiCl4, which had boiling point of 58degrees C, vaporized in the immersed section of the tube and was dispersed as a gas in the liquid Zn. The SiCl4 flow rate was ca. 250 g/hour, and the total amount added was 5200 g. The flow rate corresponds to 0.66 kg/minutes/m2 of bath surface. The ZnCl2, which evaporated during the reaction, was condensed in a graphite tube connected to the reactor and was collected in a separate vessel. Any un-reacted SiCl4 was collected in a wet scrubber connected to the ZnCl2 vessel. A Zn-Si alloy, saturated in Si at the prevalent reactor temperature and containing additional solid particles of Si, was obtained. Zn-Si (5.3 kg) alloy was obtained. The total Si content of this alloy was 14.6%. The Si reaction yield was 91%. The Si losses was attributed to the entrainment of particles of Si with the escaping ZnCl2 vapors, and to the incomplete reduction of SiCl4 into Si metal. Of the remaining Si, 62 g was found in the ZnCl2 and about 10 g in the scrubber. The Zn-Si alloy was separated in two fractions of equal weight. Each fraction was heated to 1550degrees C for 1 hour in a quartz crucible, to evaporated the Zn and melted the Si. A quartz tube was dipped into the molten bath corresponding to a first alloy fraction, and SiCl4 was bubbled at a flow rate of 200 g/hour. The second alloy fraction was not sparged. Both fractions were allowed to cool down to room temperature, under inert atmosphere. Two samples were taken from each fraction, and analyzed by Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS). The average impurity levels were reported were as follows: Al, Cu, Mn and Ni of 0.1, 0.25, 0.08 and greater than 0.01 with SiCl4 bubbling (ppm) and 0.4, 0.2, 0.23 and greater than 0.01 without SiCl4 bubbling (ppm). The concentration of most impurities was significantly reduced by the SiCl4 sparging step.