Abstract: A process is disclosed for separating calcium and nitrogen from lithium, in which alumina is added to molten lithium and reacts to produce aluminum and lithium oxide. The aluminum reacts with the nitrogen in the lithium to produce insoluble aluminum nitride, while the lithium oxide reacts with the calcium present to produce insoluble calcium oxide and lithium. The insoluble calcium oxide and aluminum nitride may then be separated from the molten lithium, such as by filtration.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for purifying lithium, formed by a sealed enclosure comprising a heated upper portion 1 provided with a container 9 in which the molten lithium 11 is agitated and from which the impurities evaporate, and a cooled lower portion 13 provided with a condensation surface 17 and a pipe means 16 for producing a depression in the lower portion. The invention is used in the purification of lithium, and in particular, for separation of lithium from sodium and potassium impurities.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for purifying lithium in which the lithium is melted in an inert atmosphere. The molten lithium is then maintained at a temperature of 400.degree. to 700.degree. C. under a pressure of less than 10 Pascal while agitating the molten lithium to renew its exposed surface. In this manner, impurities in the lithium are virtually exclusively vaporized, without giving rise to substantial evaporation of lithium. The vaporized impurities are then condensed at a temperature of less than 100.degree. C. and the purified lithium is recovered in molten form.

Abstract: The process relates to the separation of the molybdenum and/or tungsten, titanium, vanadium, niobium or tantalum present in the form of organometallic compounds in residual effluents.It is applicable, in particular, to the effluents originating from the epoxidation of olefins by hydroperoxides.The process involves treating the effluent with from 1 to 10% by weight of water, at between 150.degree. and 220.degree. C. under pressure, to render the metals listed above insoluble, without forming a distinct aqueous phase. The solid phase containing more than 95% of the metals is separated by filtration. After treatment, the effluents can be used without disadvantage, for example as a fuel, and the metals can be recovered from the solid phase.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for recovering metallic constituents of spent or waste catalysts containing metallic compounds fixed on an aluminous support. The process is particularly applicable for the recovery of metals such as Al, Mo, V, Ni and Co, contained in spent catalyst. The process comprises transforming the metals to be recovered into volatile chlorides by carbochlorination and then separating the chlorides obtained by dry means and fixing them successively in a selective manner. The separation of AlCl.sub.3 is accomplished by passage through granules of anhydrous NaCl, and the separation of MoCl.sub.5 by passage through granules of crystallized KCl. The process is particularly suitable for the treatment of waste catalyst from the catalytic hydrocracking or hydrodesulfurization of oils.

Abstract: A process of recovering molybdenum in the form of molybdic acid from waste products and particularly from spent catalysts containing a support based on gamma-alumina wherein the molybdenum is in the form of molybdenum oxide or molybdenum sulfide comprising treating the waste products with sodium carbonate and heating to convert the molybdenum present to sodium molybdate, and converting the sodium molybdate to molybdic acid by treatment with concentrated nitric acid to produce molybdic acid high in purity that is suitable for the production of molybdenum compounds as well as for the recovery of the pure metal.

Abstract: A process of recovering molybdenum from waste products and particularly from spent catalyst based on active alumina and containing molybdenum compounds comprising mixing the spent catalyst with sodium carbonate powder, adding water and remixing to absorb the water in the catalyst particles, baking the mixture to convert the molybdenum present to sodium molybdate, treating the mixture at ambient temperature with carbon dioxide gas, treating the resultant mixture with hot water to dissolve the sodium molybdate, neutralizing and clarifying with concentrated nitric acid, and precipitating to produce molybdic acid high in purity that is suitable for the production of molybdenum compounds as well as for the recovery of the pure metal.

Abstract: The invention relates to a purification process by which sodium of extremely high purity, more especially with a low calcium content, can be obtained from commercial-grade sodium.The process according to the invention essentially comprises continuously introducing a predetermined quantity of sodium peroxide into a stream of sodium, mixing and subsequently reacting this sodium peroxide with the sodium at a suitable temperature and finally separating the products of the reaction from the sodium by decantation and filtration.The extremely high-purity sodium thus obtained satisfies in particular the requirements of the atomic industry for its use as a heat-carrying fluid in nuclear reactors of the "breeder" type.