Method of purifying zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride in a vapor stream

Patent · Tue Apr 07 04:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:5128727

Snyder, T S; Stolz, R A

This patent describes a method of purifying zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride in a vapor stream from a sand chlorinator in which the silicon and metals present in sand fed to the chlorinator are converted to chlorides at temperatures over about 800{degrees} C. It comprises cooling a vapor stream from a sand chlorinator, the vapor stream containing principally silicon tetrachloride, zirconium tetrachloride, and hafnium tetrachloride contaminated with ferric chloride, to a temperature of from about 335{degrees} C to about 600{degrees} C; flowing the vapor stream through a gaseous diffusion separative barrier to produce a silicon tetrachloride-containing vapor stream concentrated in zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride and a silicon tetrachloride-containing vapor stream depleted in zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride; adsorbing the ferric chloride in the separative barrier; and recovering the silicon tetrachloride stream concentrated in zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride separately from the silicon tetrachloride stream depleted in zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride.

• Assignee: Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA (United States)
• Patent Number(s): US 5102637; A
• Application Number: PPN: US 7-597254
• OSTI ID: 5128727
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320305 -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Industrial & Agricultural Processes-- Industrial Waste Management
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400105* -- Separation Procedures
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
FLUIDS
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HAFNIUM CHLORIDES
HAFNIUM COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS RECOVERY
PROCESSING
PURIFICATION
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VAPORS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE PROCESSING
WASTES
ZIRCONIUM CHLORIDES
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS