Process and apparatus for producing alloy containing terbium and/or gadolinium
US4783245A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 12, 1987 |
| Grant date | Nov 8, 1988 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 12, 2007 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC C)Chemistry; Metallurgy
- CPC primaryC25C3/34
- WIPO fieldSurface technology, coating
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
A process and an apparatus for producing an alloy containing terbium (Tb) and/or gadolinium (Gd). The process includes the steps of: (a) preparing a bath of molten electrolyte which consists essentially of 20-95% by weight of TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3, 5-80% of LiF, up to 40% of BaF.sub.2 and up to 20% of CaF.sub.2 ; (b) reducing the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3 in the bath, with carbon anode and with cathode made of a metal such as iron or cobalt, so as to electrodeposit Tb and/or Gd on the cathode, and alloying the electrodeposited Tb and/or Gd with metal of the cathode so as to produce the alloy containing Tb and/or Gd in a liquid state on the cathode; (c) adding the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3 to the bath so as to maintain the composition of the bath, for compensating for consumption of the TbF.sub.3 and/or GdF.sub.3 during production of the alloy; (d) dripping the liquid alloy from the cathode into a receiver having a mouth which is open upward in a lower portion of the bath below the cathode, and thereby collecting the liquid alloy in the form of a molten pool in the receiver; and (e) withdrawing the molten pool of the liquid alloy from the receiver.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.