Chemical component recovery from ligated-metals

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by forming a source of electrons by combining dissimilar metals, wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone that can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized producing a primary chain carrier that induces a chain reaction and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by ionizing a gas, wherein the gas that is ionized includes an elemental component that is common to the ligated-metal feed, and wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by ionizing the ligated-metal feed, wherein the ionized ligated-metal feed includes a cation, and wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by ionizing the ligated-metal feed, wherein the ionized ligated-metal feed includes an anion, and wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being coverted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by ionizing a gas to form an ionized gas component that can dissociate the chemical component from the ligated-metal feed, wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, and wherein the ionization potential of the ionizing gas and ligated-metal feed are about equal;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone by ionizing a halogen gas to form an ionized gas component that can dissociate the chemical component from the ligated-metal feed, wherein the ionized zone can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced liaated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone that can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal, wherein the ligated-metal feed includes a composition selected from the group consisting of an actinide metal halide, a metal oxide, a metal sulfide, iron chloride, nickel chloride, iron oxide, and copper sulfide.

A method for converting a ligated-metal of a ligated-metal feed into chemical components of the ligated-metal, comprising the steps of:

• a) forming an ionized zone that can convert said ligated-metal to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal feed into the ionized zone, whereby said ligated-metal is converted to a reduced ligated-metal intermediate, thereby causing a thermodynamically stable metal-ligand bond of said ligated-metal to be electronically destabilized and inducing subsequent metal-ligand bond rupture, said reduced ligated-metal intermediate being converted by the metal-ligand bond rupture into chemical components of said ligated-metal, wherein the ligated-metal feed includes a ligand component including a composition selected from the group consisting of an oxyhalide, a nitride, an oxide, a sulfide, --CN. --OCN.--SCN. --SeCN. and --N.sub.3.

A method for recovering an elemental metal from a ligated-metal waste, comprising the steps of:

• a) ionizing a gas within a reactor to form an ionized gas component that can reduce a metal of the ligated-metal waste to form an elemental metal precipitate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal waste into the reactor, whereby the ionized gas component reduces the metal of said ligated-metal waste to form the elemental metal precipitate, thereby recovering the elemental metal from the ligated-metal waste, wherein the ligated metal waste includes iron chloride.

A method for recovering an elemental metal from a ligated-metal waste, comprising the steps of:

• a) ionizing chlorine gas within a reactor to form an ionized gas component that can reduce a metal of the ligated-metal waste to form an elemental metal precipitate;
• and
• b) directing the ligated-metal waste into the reactor, whereby the ionized gas component reduces the metal of said ligated-metal waste to form the elemental metal precipitate, thereby recovering the elemental metal from the ligated-metal waste.