Method for manufacturing zirconium metal and hafnium metal

A method of producing zirconium metal and hafnium metal comprising:

• (A) a separation step of separating a hafnium oxychloride from a first substance containing a zirconium oxychloride and a hafnium oxychloride and recovering a second substance having a higher content of the zirconium oxychloride and lower content of hafnium oxychloride than said first substance;
• a calcination step of calcining the second substance in an inert gas atmosphere to remove a moisture content and to obtain a third substance containing at least one of a zirconium oxychloride and a zirconium oxide;
• a direct reduction step of holding the third substance in a molten salt with the third substance brought into contact with a cathode and applying a voltage between the cathode and an anode to directly reduce the third substance as it is to obtain zirconium metal;
• and
• (B) a separation step of separating a zirconium oxychloride from a first substance containing a zirconium oxychloride and a hafnium oxychloride to obtain and recovering a sixth substance having a higher content of the hafnium oxychloride and lower content of zirconium oxychloride than said first substance;
• a hydroxide precipitation step of adding a hydroxide to a sixth substance to obtain an eighth substance containing a hafnium hydroxide;
• a calcination step of calcining the eighth substance in an inert as atmosphere to obtain a ninth substance containing a hafnium oxide;
• and
• a direct reduction step of holding the ninth substance in a molten salt with the ninth substance brought into contact with a cathode and applying a voltage between the cathode and an anode to directly reduce the ninth substance as it is to obtain metal hafnium;
• wherein said method does not comprise carbothermal reduction of ZrO2 to ZrCl4.