Method of winning aluminum metal from aluminous ore

Patent · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:863879

Loutfy, Raouf O ^[1]; Keller, Rudolf ^[1]; Yao, Neng-Ping ^[2]

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1. Naperville, IL
2. Clarendon Hills, IL

Aluminous ore such as bauxite containing alumina is blended with coke or other suitable form of carbon and reacted with sulfur gas at an elevated temperature. For handling, the ore and coke can be extruded into conveniently sized pellets. The reaction with sulfur gas produces molten aluminum sulfide which is separated from residual solid reactants and impurities. The aluminum sulfide is further increased in temperature to cause its decomposition or sublimation, yielding aluminum subsulfide liquid (AlS) and sulfur gas that is recycled. The aluminum monosulfide is then cooled to below its disproportionation temperature to again form molten aluminum sulfide and aluminum metal. A liquid-liquid or liquid-solid separation, depending on the separation temperature, provides product aluminum and aluminum sulfide for recycle to the disproportionation step.

• Research Organization: Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL
• Assignee: United States of America as represented by United States (Washington, DC)
• Patent Number(s): US 4265716
• OSTI ID: 863879
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/205/75/
alumina
aluminous
aluminum
aluminum metal
aluminum sulfide
bauxite
below
blended
carbon
coke
containing
conveniently
cooled
decomposition
depending
disproportionation
elevated
elevated temperature
extruded
form
form molten
gas
handling
impurities
increased
liquid
liquid-liquid
liquid-solid
metal
method
molten
molten aluminum
monosulfide
pellets
produces
product
provides
provides product
reactants
reacted
reaction
recycle
recycled
residual
residual solid
separated
separation
sized
solid
solid reactants
step
sublimation
subsulfide
suitable
sulfide
sulfur
sulfur gas
temperature
winning
yielding