Process for purifying zirconium sponge
This patent describes a Kroll reduction process wherein a zirconium sponge contaminated with unreacted magnesium and by-product magnesium chloride is produced as a regulus, a process for purifying the zirconium sponge. It comprises: distilling magnesium and magnesium chloride from: a regulus containing a zirconium sponge and magnesium and magnesium chloride at a temperature above about 800{degrees} C and at an absolute pressure less than about 10 mmHg in a distillation vessel to purify the zirconium sponge; condensing the magnesium and the magnesium chloride distilled from the zirconium sponge in a condenser; and then backfilling the vessel containing the zirconium sponge and the condenser containing the magnesium and the magnesium chloride with a gas; recirculating the gas between the vessel and the condenser to cool the zirconium sponge from above about 800{degrees} C to below about 300{degrees} C; and cooling the recirculating gas in the condenser containing the condensed magnesium and the condensed magnesium chloride as the gas cools the zirconium sponge to below about 300{degrees} C.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 5100465; A
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7-632783
- OSTI ID:
- 5226550
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: 24 Dec 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
ZIRCONIUM
KROLL PROCESS
PURIFICATION
BY-PRODUCTS
CONTAMINATION
COOLING
DISTILLATION
GASES
MAGNESIUM
MAGNESIUM CHLORIDES
PRESSURE DEPENDENCE
REDUCTION
TEMPERATURE RANGE 0400-1000 K
TEMPERATURE RANGE 1000-4000 K
VAPOR CONDENSATION
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
ELEMENTS
FLUIDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
METALS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TEMPERATURE RANGE
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
400105* - Separation Procedures