Abstract: An apparatus for purifying sodium metal including: a top flange, a transparent slice, a hollow flange, a vacuum distillation kettle, gaskets, and bolts. With this apparatus, solid sodium is liquefied by heating. The volatile impurities contained in the liquid sodium metal evaporate out of the vacuum pump. After heating the liquid sodium to a high temperature, circulating cooling water is added to the condenser tube by radiation-auxiliary distillation. High-purity argon is then added to remove volatile impurities, and thermal radiation is performed to accelerate the evaporation rate at the surface of the liquid sodium. Consequently, gaseous sodium rapidly condenses on the condenser tube and becomes solid sodium.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for conditioning material for pyrometallurgical conversion to magnesium, the process comprising carrying out de-sulfation of the material in a slurry to reduce sulfur content of the material; and carrying out de-ferration of the de-sulfated material in a slurry to reduce iron content of the material to produce a conditioned material suitable for pyrometallurgical conversion to magnesium.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a high vacuum in-situ refining method for high-purity and superhigh-purity materials and the apparatus thereof, characterized in heating the upper part and lower part of crucible separately using double-heating-wires diffusion furnace under vacuum, thereby forming the temperature profile which is high at upper part and low at lower part of crucible, or in reverse during different stages; then heating the crucible in two steps to remove impurities with high saturation vapor pressure and low saturation vapor pressure respectively in efficiency; and obtaining high-purity materials eventually. The whole procedure is isolated from atmosphere, reducing contamination upon stuff remarkably. The present invention could provide products with high-quality and high production capacity, which are stable in performance, therefore is reliable and free from contamination.

Abstract: Liquid metal is continuously recovered by condensing metal vapour in a sealed system, more or less at atmospheric pressure, and collecting liquid metal in a crucible. The contents of the crucible are agitated and the temperature is controlled to prevent the liquid metal from solidifying. Liquid metal and dross are tapped from the crucible.

Abstract: Mixtures are provided of lithium salts with reducing agents for lithium evaporation. The mixtures may be particularly used in the manufacture of electroluminescent organic displays. Lithium dispensers based on the use of these mixtures are also provided.

Abstract: Liquid metal is continuously recovered by condensing metal vapour in a sealed system, more or less at atmospheric pressure, and collecting liquid metal in a crucible. The contents of the crucible are agitated and the temperature is controlled to prevent the liquid metal from solidifying. Liquid metal and dross are tapped from the crucible.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method for extracting selectively a metal from a metal mixture in the gaseous phase. The method comprises heating the metal mixture to vaporize the metal; condensing the metal contaminants present in the vapor; reacting any contaminants remaining in the vapor with a reagent to precipitate the remaining contaminants, and collecting the purified metal.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a method for extracting selectively a metal from a metal mixture in the gaseous phase. The method comprises heating the metal mixture to vaporize the metal; condensing the metal contaminants present in the vapour; reacting any contaminants remaining in the vapour with a reagent to precipitate the remaining contaminants, and collecting the purified metal.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for recovering metal values from Electric Arc Furnace dust, particularly zinc and iron values, by mixing EAF dust and carbonaceous fines to form a particulate mixture; heating the mixture at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to reduce and release volatile metals and alkali metals in a flue gas; collecting the released metals, and removing the metal values from the process as product.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for recovering metal values from Electric Arc Furnace dust, particularly zinc and iron values, by mixing EAF dust and carbonaceous fines to form a particulate mixture; heating the mixture at a sufficient temperature and for a sufficient time to reduce and release volatile metals and alkali metals in a flue gas; collecting the released metals, and removing the metal values from the process as product.

Abstract: Production of metallic sodium and potassium by reaction of their hydroxides or carbonates with carbon. The carbon may be produced in situ by pyrolysis of a pyrolyzable carbonaceous material. There are further disclosed a process and installation for performing the production while using solar energy.

Abstract: Solar process for the production of volatile elemental zinc, sodium, and potassium by reacting their oxides with a reducing metallic agent selected from Fe, Sn, Ni, Co and Mn, and in a second step, reacting carbon or hydrogen with the oxide of said reducing metallic agent so as to reduce it back to its metallic form.

Abstract: A plant for separating substances from a gas flow, especially environmentally harmful heavy metals in gas form released in connection with incinerating batteries, the plant including in series connection in a gas flow circuit, a chamber for initially collecting the gas flow containing the substances to be separated; a compressor which pressurizes the gas flow; an expansion device through which the pressurized gas flow passes while rapidly lowering the pressure and temperature of the gas flow so that at least a part of the substances to be separated condense and are separated in solid or fluid state in a separation chamber, the inlet of which is connected to the outlet of the expansion device and which is provided with an outlet for the remaining gas flow which communicates with the inlet of the collecting chamber to form a closed gas-circulation circuit.

Abstract: An improved method for extracting lithium from aluminum-lithium alloys includes providing an electrorefining cell which contains a cathode comprising a pure molten tin pool and a source of lithium from a molten aluminum-lithium alloy. The lithium is extracted from the Al-Li alloy by applying an electric current through the electrorefining cell whereby lithium dissolves from the molten Al-Li alloy into the tin pool and forms a tin-lithium alloy. The formed Sn-Li alloy may be recovered by casting under a salt layer and cooled to solidification. In a further aspect, the recovered Sn-Li alloy may be processed to further recover lithium therefrom by either electrolytic recovery in a separate electrolytic cell, vacuum distillation or a chemical extraction process.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recovering primary metals from pyrometallurgical process dust, in which a vertical shaft retort, situated in a furnace or afterburner associated with a pyrometallurgical apparatus, such as an inclined rotary reduction smelter, and preferably having a tapered cross-section with the larger end at the bottom, receives greenball pellets from a pelletizer, vaporizes volatile metal metals therein, and removes them to an associated volatile metal recovery apparatus, while reducing and recovering the major metal oxide components in the pellets in metallized form.

Abstract: Sputtering targets and a method for preparing them by melting the components of a rare earth-transition metal alloy in an inert atmosphere in the inner section of a crucible assembly having inner and outer sections separating by thermally insulating material and cooling the melt in the inner section.