Abstract: A process for metal purification comprising a first step for heating a feed metal in a feed crucible to generate a vapor of the metal, a second step for directing the vapor into a condensation passageway for vapors, where part of the vapor is condensed to generate a molten condensate, a third step for directing the vapor through the condensation passageway for vapors into a solidification crucible so that the vapor is cooled to solidify said metal in a high-purity form, and a fourth step for returning the molten condensate into the feed crucible.
Abstract: Dusts containing zinc and/or lead in the form of oxides and one or more reducing agents are mixed with each other before or after being introduced into a heat treatment furnace. The mixture is heated to a given temperature range under a substantial vacuum so that the zinc and/or lead in the form of oxides are reduced to zinc and/or lead in the state of pure metals and evaporated in the furnace. The evaporated zinc and/or lead are introduced into a retrieving container also under a substantial vacuum and at a given temperature where the evaporated zinc and/or lead pure metals are condensed and retrieved.
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.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
March 14, 1989
Date of Patent:
October 16, 1990
Assignee:
Zia Technology, Inc.
Inventors:
Norman G. Bishop, N. Edward Bottinelli, Norman L. Kotraba