Method for the thermal production of metals
AssigneeVereinigte Aluminium-Werke Aktiengesellschaft
InventorSiegfried Wilkening
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for the continuous production of metals and/or carbides by thermal reduction is described. In the process, a mixture of metal oxide and carbon is agglomerated, each piece of agglomerate encased in carbon and/or graphite, the carbon casing serves as a housing of the agglomerate during the reducing reaction and as an electrical resistance element for heating of the agglomerate, the encased agglomerates are coked and reduced to metal carbide in a tightly-packed form. Extraction of the metal from the carbide is effected with a halide of the same metal.
Claims8
A method for thermally producing metals which comprises:
- admixing a metal oxide and carbon;
- forming said metal oxide and carbon mixture into a plurality of agglomerates, the amount of carbon in each of the agglomerates being sufficient for reducing said metal oxide to a carbide of said metal;
- encasing each of said agglomerates within a shell comprising at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon and graphite;
- placing said agglomerate containing shells in a tightly packed formation;
- coking said shells,
- reducing the metal oxide in said agglomerates to form metal carbide by electrical resistance heating of said tightly packed shell formation, said shells remaining as a housing for said agglomerates and serving as an electrical resistance element for heating the agglomerates during said reducing reaction;
- and
- extracting said metal from said metal carbide.
A method for the thermal production of aluminum metal and aluminum carbide which comprises forming a mixture of aluminum oxide particles and carbon into an agglomerate;
- encasing the agglomerate in a covering made from at least one material selected from the group consisting of carbon and graphite;
- placing a plurality of said encased agglomerates in a tightly packed formation wherein said coverings are in contacting relation with one another;
- coking said agglomerates in said tightly-packed formation;
- reducing said agglomerates by electrical resistance heating of said coverings which constitute the electrical heating elements in said tightly-packed formation, thereby to form aluminum carbide;
- and
- extracting aluminum metal from said aluminum carbide.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.