Molten salt collector for plasma separations

A metal ion collection device which comprises:

• a vacuum chamber;
• a plurality of substantially truncated conical sections, said plurality of conical sections being concentrically mounted in said vacuum chamber in a substantially coplanar arrangement to screen a cross section of said chamber, each said conical section being formed with an internal cooling channel;
• an injector for introducing a salt into said chamber for dissociation of said salt in said chamber, said salt having a first throughput value, and for introducing a plasma including metal ions into said chamber, said metal ions having a second throughput value;
• a fluid pump in fluid communication with said respective cooling channels of each said conical section for pumping a liquid coolant therethrough to substantially maintain said conical sections at a temperature below the melting temperature of said salt to form a portion of said salt as a solid protective layer on each said conical section, and to cause said salt in said chamber to thereafter deposit on said solid protective layer in a molten condition at a faster rate than evaporation of said salt therefrom for trapping said metal ions therein;
• and
• a means for continuously removing said molten portion of said mixture, together with said metal ions trapped therein, from said chamber.

A method for removing metal ions from a plasma in a vacuum chamber which comprises the steps of:

• mounting a plurality of truncated conical shaped collector plates in said vacuum chamber in a substantially concentric and coplanar arrangement to screen a cross section of said chamber, each said collector plate being formed with an internal cooling channel;
• introducing a salt into said chamber for dissociation of said salt in said chamber, said salt having a first throughput value;
• introducing a plasma including metal ions into said chamber, said metal ions having a second throughput value;
• pumping a liquid coolant into said cooling channels to substantially maintain said collector plates at a temperature for forming a portion of said salt as a solid protective layer on said collector plate, and causing said salt in said chamber to thereafter deposit on said solid protective layer in a molten condition at a faster rate than evaporation of said salt therefrom for trapping said metal ions therein;
• and
• continuously removing said molten portion of said mixture, together with said metal ions trapped therein, from said chamber.