GB446502A - Process for the reduction of metalliferous materials - Google Patents

Abstract

Metalliferous materials which are solid at the temperature of molten magnesium and which contain metals, the oxides of which have a heat of formation less than that of magnesium oxide, are heated in the form of pieces or lumps greater than 1 mm. in diameter with metallic magnesium in a closed vessel at a temperature sufficient to melt the magnesium. The reaction may be carried out in an iron cylinder provided with lids at each end, a pressure safety device comprising an iron tube, one end of which communicates with an aperture in the top cover and the other end of which dips below the surface of an oil bath, being provided: to prevent oil sucking back, a U-bend may be provided as described in Specification 444,957. The dross obtained in the reaction may be again reduced to magnesium in an aluminum bath and the magnesium recovered by distillation. Calcium, barium, or strontium or alloys of these metals with magnesium may be produced using the oxides as starting materials or an alkaline-earth-silicon-magnesium alloy may be formed by using the silicate. The oxide dross produced by the process described in Specification 397,844 may be treated by the process, for example, a dross consisting of beryllium oxide, aluminium oxide and metallic aluminium, formed by adding beryl to molten aluminium, in accordance with Specification 397,844, may be introduced into a bath of molten magnesium to form an aluminium-beryllium-magnesium alloy. Alternatively, the dross may be submitted to an oxidizing roast prior to treatment with magnesium, when a magnesium-beryllium alloy is produced from which the magnesium can be removed by distillation. The process may also be applied to the extraction of tin, chromium, vanadium, uranium, nickel and the rare earth metals.