Method for producing technical silicon, wherein a particulate raw material mixture comprising particulate silicon metal-containing material and comprising a particulate mediator which comprises at least one of the elements C, O, Al, Ca and Si is heated to at least 1490°C, with formation of a liquid silicon metal phase, and the liquid silicon metal phase is brought to solidification, the particulate raw material mixture being described by a characteristic number K, K having a value of 0.000 to 60 and being calculated as follows: K = m SiM ⋅ d 50 SiM + m Med ⋅ d 50 Med m SiM + m Med ⋅ φ where m(SiM) is the mass of the silicon metal-containing material in the batch m(Med) is the mass of the mediator in the raw material mixture d 50,SiM is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the silicon metal-containing material, d 50,Med is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the mediator, φ is the mean porosity of the silicon metal-containing material, where the silicon-containing material is used without further purification steps, where the particles of the silicon metal-containing material have a mean particle size d 50,SiM of 0.1 to 100 mm and where the particles of the mediator have a mean particle size d 50,Med of 0.1 to 100 mm. wherein a particulate raw material mixture comprising particulate silicon metal-containing material and comprising a particulate mediator which comprises at least one of the elements C, O, Al, Ca and Si is heated to at least 1490°C, with formation of a liquid silicon metal phase, and the liquid silicon metal phase is brought to solidification, the particulate raw material mixture being described by a characteristic number K, K having a value of 0.000 to 60 and being calculated as follows: K = m SiM ⋅ d 50 SiM + m Med ⋅ d 50 Med m SiM + m Med ⋅ φ where m(SiM) is the mass of the silicon metal-containing material in the batch m(Med) is the mass of the mediator in the raw material mixture d 50,SiM is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the silicon metal-containing material, d 50,Med is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the mediator, φ is the mean porosity of the silicon metal-containing material, where the silicon-containing material is used without further purification steps, where the particles of the silicon metal-containing material have a mean particle size d 50,SiM of 0.1 to 100 mm and where the particles of the mediator have a mean particle size d 50,Med of 0.1 to 100 mm. m(SiM) is the mass of the silicon metal-containing material in the batch m(Med) is the mass of the mediator in the raw material mixture d 50,SiM is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the silicon metal-containing material, d 50,Med is the particle size (diameter) at 50% of the mass undersize of the grading curve of the mediator, φ is the mean porosity of the silicon metal-containing material, where the silicon-containing material is used without further purification steps, where the particles of the silicon metal-containing material have a mean particle size d 50,SiM of 0.1 to 100 mm and where the particles of the mediator have a mean particle size d 50,Med of 0.1 to 100 mm.