Patent · US Expired

Process and apparatus for producing metal zirconium by the reduction of zirconium tetrachloride

US4752331A · kind A · utility

0Cited by
4References
4Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 9, 1987
Grant dateJun 21, 1988
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 9, 2007

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S266/905
  • WIPO fieldMaterials, metallurgy
  • WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

The invention concerns a process for the production of metal Zr by means of molten Mg in a reactor (1) having a hearth plate (3), comprising separating the magnesium chloride formed in the reduction reaction from the metal Zr formed and the magnesium, then cooling, then extracting the sponge cake of metal Zr formed. The process is characterized by separating the magnesium chloride formed by tapping off towards the bottom of the reactor (1) by means of a chimney (6) whose bottom end portion (5) is fixed to an orifice (4) in the hearth plate (3) and whose transverse open top end (7) is above the portion of the metallic mass (Zr, Mg) which borders the chimney (6) at the end of the reduction reaction. The invention also concerns the corresponding apparatus for the production of metal zirconium. The invention provides a simplification in the operation of separating the MgCl.sub.2 formed and possibly, by virtue of a particular structure of the chimney according to the invention, gives an improvement in the operation of extracting the sponge cake produced.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.