GB674465A - Apparatus for treating chrome ore - Google Patents

Abstract

<PICT:0674465/III/1> In apparatus for purifying chromite ores by removing a portion of the iron contained therein by a chlorination process, the pulverized ore is fed from a hopper 14 by a worm conveyer 13 to a rotary reaction chamber 9 in a furnace 12, said chamber being supplied with reactant gases through a tube 8 in the conveyer 13 formed with a deflector 11, the gases being prepared by subjecting a mixture of chlorine and a gaseous hydrocarbon passing along a quartz tube 4 to a catalytic action by radiation from an ultra-violet ray lamp 5. The reaction chamber 9 is heated within a range of 324 DEG -750 DEG C and is formed with lifter blades 18, with an arcuate collector blade 19 feeding a discharge worm 20 and with enlarged end flanges 17, one of which is provided with a driving sprocket 16. Treated ore is discharged into a receiving hopper 21 surrounded by a furnace 22 which keeps it above the boiling point of ferric chloride 315 DEG C but below the temperature at which chromic chloride will form. Exhaust gases pass, firstly through a condenser 26 held at a temperature lying between 100 DEG -315 DEG C to condense anhydrous ferric chloride, then through low temperature condensers 27, 28 to remove water. The residual gases, chlorine and carbon dioxide, are re-circulated by a fan 30 through a bed of red hot coke 33 in a furnace 32 to convert the carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide, and are intermingled with the reactant gases issuing from the quartz tube 4.