Molten salt extractive distillation process for zirconium-hafnium separation
This patent describes an improvement in a process for zirconium-hafnium separation. It utilizes an extractive distillation column with a mixture of zirconium and hafnium tetrachlorides introduced into a distillation column having a top and bottom with hafnium enriched overheads taken from the top of the column and a molten salt solvent circulated through the column to provide a liquid phase, and with molten salt solvent containing zirconium chloride being taken from the bottom of the distillation column. The improvements comprising: utilizing a molten salt solvent consisting principally of lithium chloride and at least one of sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium chlorides; stripping of the zirconium chloride taken from the bottom of the distillation column by electrochemically reducing zirconium from the molten salt solvent; and utilizing a pressurized reflux condenser on the top of the column to add the hafnium chloride enriched overheads to the molten salt solvent previously stripped of zirconium chloride.
- Assignee:
- Westinghouse Electric Corp., Pittsburgh, PA
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4874475
- Application Number:
- PPN: US 7242570A
- OSTI ID:
- 7250491
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Zirconium and hafnium tetrachloride separation by extractive distillation with molten zinc chloride lead chloride solvent
Electrochemical-metallothermic reduction of zirconium in molten salt solutions
Related Subjects
360101* -- Metals & Alloys-- Preparation & Fabrication
CHLORIDES
CHLORINE COMPOUNDS
DISTILLATION
DISTILLATION EQUIPMENT
ELEMENTS
EQUIPMENT
HAFNIUM
HAFNIUM CHLORIDES
HAFNIUM COMPOUNDS
HALIDES
HALOGEN COMPOUNDS
METALS
MOLTEN SALTS
PRODUCTION
REFRACTORY METAL COMPOUNDS
SALTS
SEPARATION PROCESSES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
ZIRCONIUM
ZIRCONIUM CHLORIDES
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS