RU2501870C2 - Production of aluminium metal from water suspension of clay particles and device to this end - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: proposed method comprises grinding aluminium-bearing clay to particles sized to 0.001-1.0 mm, mixing it with water in amount of 30-40% of total weight of ground clay to make water suspension to be loaded inside the housing by blowing processing zone with compressed atmospheric air, reducing with gases contained in compressed air flows at subjecting said water suspension to variable rotary magnetic field with intensity in processing zones of 4*10⁴ -1*10⁶ A/m, frequency of 40-70 Hz by forcing water suspension through housing processing zones, the number making 2 to 6 and used as closing connection links for generated magnetic field acting at water suspension. Water suspension loading and aluminium discharge are made without outage of production plant. Proposed device comprises housing to accommodate aluminium-bearing clay, magnetic filed inductors composed of interconnected plates of magnetically conducting material and connected in closed rectangular circuit, their number making 2 to 6 and connected with external power supply, solenoids composed of three coils arranged inside inductors to make every closed rectangular circuit. Every said coil is connected to appropriate phase of said external three-phase power supply. Inductor circuit has through slot to surround case arranged therein, aforesaid circuit being arranged successively at equal spacing between them. Device comprises means to load and displace suspension and to discharge finished aluminium.

EFFECT: high-purity aluminium in continuous process.

7 cl, 2 dwg

Description

A method of producing metallic aluminum from an aqueous suspension of clay particles and a device for its implementation.

The present invention relates to non-ferrous metallurgy, and, in particular, to technologies for the production of primary aluminum from clay-containing raw materials and to the devices used for their implementation.

Known methods used to date, which are intended to produce primary aluminum. The latter are performed by electrolysis of a cryolite melt formed on the basis of alumina.

The proceeding reaction of the reduction of alumina with carbon, which is introduced into the composition of the latter, increases KPD the process, increasing the yield of metal deposited on the cathode (see T. Forebl, “Electrolysis of Aluminum,” Moscow, Metallurgy, 1967, pp. 22-28).

However, this known method has significant disadvantages;

The need to use in the process of processing raw materials heated to temperatures of 950 ° C and above the melt, consisting of its constituents, the above compounds, leads to an increase in costs used in its implementation of technological energy (both thermal and electric).

In addition, when performing this kind of technology, i.e. electrolysis of melts from aluminum and fluorine compounds. into the atmosphere surrounding the electrolytic cell, harmful compounds and gases formed in it are released (such as, for example, hydrogen fluoride, carbon monoxide, sulfur-containing products, and so on).

All of the above leads to the need to use aluminum in production, carried out using these well-known methods, serving such processes of complexes consisting of complex and expensive equipment, as well as the same systems that ensure their operation.

The circumstances listed above have a negative impact on the economic indicators obtained using these technologies that characterize the efficiency of the process of processing the source raw material into the desired final product.

In addition, the known method should also include primary aluminum, in the process of which the above-mentioned final product is extracted from the original raw material using a thermochemical reaction of alumina reduction with carbon carried out in the melt volume.

The metal produced in the working area of the electrolyzer at the inlet of its implementation ultimately precipitates to its bottom, accumulating in this area.

This process itself proceeds in the internal cavity of a plasma-induction furnace, in which an electric arc discharge is created between the refractory cathode and the anode, and a mixture consisting of alumina and carbon is fed directly into it.

The path of the plasma arc obtained there is controlled by a magnetic field generated by a solenoid located around the body of the anode.

As can be seen from the description of this known method, when it is carried out under the influence of a high temperature of a plasma clot formed to achieve the desired end goal, a chemical reaction of carbothermal reduction of aluminum from alumina-containing pellets takes place in the cavity of the device used. The latter is carried out using carbon atoms generated in this zone.

The metal obtained in this region in the form of a liquid melt is deposited on the bottom of a plasma-induction furnace. From there, liquid aluminum accumulated in this part of it is periodically removed through an outlet pipe in the furnace.

The inductor, coaxially located around the graphite blocks located in the lower part of the known device, creates an electric current necessary to maintain the desired melt temperature.

In addition, such a plasma induction furnace is equipped with pipelines for removing slag and carbon dioxide. The latter is subsequently used as a combustible material, which ensures the generation of the electric arc discharge used in the device.

As follows from the description of this known method, the aluminum produced during its execution is formed in the generation zone of the plasma arc used in the device at temperatures of 2050 ° C. Its removal is carried out by cooling its particles formed there by a jet of inert gas supplied to the same zone (see patent No. 2170278 “Method for the production of primary aluminum and a device for its implementation”, RF, С22В 21/02, publication July 10, 2002, hereinafter prototype).

Controlling the movement of a powerful electric discharge resulting in a gas cloud i.e. the plasma arc itself is produced using magnetic fields generated in the cavity of the furnace by the solenoid present in it.

However, this well-known technical solution - the prototype, also has a number of inherent and obvious disadvantages.

As in the previously known method disassembled, the production of aluminum using the plasma arc generated in the device is associated with high costs of electric energy used to achieve this.

In addition, for its implementation, as was noted during the analysis of the conditions for fulfilling another known technology discussed above, it is necessary to use equipment that is quite complicated in design terms, as well as systems that differ in the same way that serve it.

The presence of the above factors negatively affects a number of operational indicators related both to the devices themselves used in the production of aluminum and to the service systems that ensure their functioning, which ultimately reduces the degree of reliability of the entire technological element used in the production complex.

The use of powerful electric discharges and the high temperature of an arc plasma formation are associated with the need to introduce additional components and mechanisms into the design of the known device that ensure the safety of the personnel serving it, as well as reduce the degree of harmful effects of such factors on the environment surrounding this entire complex.

In addition to all of the above, the implementation of this well-known process is also associated with the need to perform periodic breaks for loading new portions, which is used in the processing of raw materials instead of those already consumed.

All of the above negatively affects the obtained technical and economic indicators characterizing the productivity of the process of processing the feedstock into the desired final product - i.e. into metal.

And, the last, obtained using the above-mentioned known method, primary aluminum does not have a sufficiently high degree of purity.

To bring this product to the required condition, it is necessary to apply laborious and costly additional operations but its subsequent purification.

The latter, for example, include vacuum refining of melts obtained from this kind of primary metal.

The aim of the invention is to reduce costs associated with the need to obtain aluminum metal in the processing of raw materials used, as well as reducing the degree of structural complexity of the device used in the implementation of the proposed method.

Achieving this goal is ensured by applying the following factors in the proposed solution:

Upon receipt of metallic aluminum from an aqueous suspension of clay particles, aluminum-containing clay is loaded into the cavity of the device used, as well as the finished metal is unloaded from it at the end of the processing process. In the same part of the device used, said raw material is restored under the influence of a magnetic field generated in the processing zone. In the same areas, precipitation of reduced aluminum is carried out, as well as its subsequent unloading.

The device used to implement the proposed method for producing metal aluminum, contains a housing for placement in its cavity of the processed aluminum-containing clay, as well as working elements for creating a magnetic field. These elements are connected to an external source of electrical power. The device also includes a solenoid located on the working element, as well as means for loading and unloading the aluminum obtained with its help.

New in the proposed method is that the aluminum-containing clay is ground into particles with a size of 0.001-1.0 mm and mixed with water in an amount of 30-40% of the total mass of the ground clay, to obtain an aqueous suspension. The prepared suspension is then loaded into said cavity and compressed air is blown through the treatment zone.

The reduction of aluminum from alumina is carried out with carbon, which is part of the gases present in the jets blown through the treatment zone of the mentioned air when exposed to an aqueous suspension with an alternating rotating magnetic field with a tension in the treatment zones of 4 × 10 ⁴ -1 × 10 ⁶ A / m and frequency 40-70 Hz. During the processing, the aqueous suspension is moved through the treatment zones successively located in the device body, the number of which is from 2 to 6.

The above treatment zones of the aqueous suspension are used as closing connecting links for the generated magnetic flux when it is exposed to the aqueous suspension.

The loading of the aqueous suspension and the unloading of the finished aluminum is carried out without stopping the device for producing aluminum.

In addition, the supply in the thickness of the aqueous suspension of jets of compressed air is carried out under an excess pressure of 0.1 ÷ 0.6 kgf / cm ² .

The very movement of the aqueous suspension inside the cavity is performed using a rotating screw with its continuous mechanical stirring.

New in the design of the proposed device is that it is equipped with a screw located in the internal cavity of the said housing about its axis to move the treated water suspension from aluminum-containing clay and water. The transfer of said raw material is carried out in the direction from the front end of the housing to its rear end. The device also has a drive that ensures the execution of the angular movements of the screw at a given speed, as well as nozzles for supplying compressed air.

An opening is made in the front end of the housing, which communicates with the cavity of the loading hopper located above it for supplying the suspension, and at its rear end there is a hatch for unloading the obtained aluminum from it, into a drive mounted above the hatch.

The working elements of the device are made in the form of stacked plates of magnetically conductive material mounted in a closed rectangular contour, in an amount from 2 to 6.

The solenoids in the device are made in the form of three electric windings-coils placed in the body of the working elements that make up each closed rectangular contour. Moreover, each electric coil-coil is connected to the corresponding phase of an external three-phase source of electrical power. In each circuit used as part of the device, in one of its working elements, a through groove is made covering the housing mentioned in it. These circuits are sequentially installed at an equal distance from each other.

The novelty of the proposed device design will also consist in the fact that its body is mounted with a slope of the longitudinal axis to the level of the horizon at an angle of 10-20 °. At the same time, its front end is raised, and the rear end is lowered.

It should also be noted that the nozzles used in this device for supplying compressed air are placed on the outer surface of the housing in the form of rows evenly spaced from one another and with an inclination relative to the said surface.

And, finally, the differences of the proposed device should also include the fact that hollow pipes with pressure reducing valves installed in its front and rear ends, communicated by the body cavity and designed to remove excess volumes of compressed air supplied to it, are fixed on the housing .

The introduction of all the above features of the implementation of the proposed method, as well as the above new design features in the composition of the device used during its implementation, allows you to fundamentally change the nature of the process of forming metal aluminum during processing used to obtain the original raw material.

In connection with the foregoing, the latter begins to acquire the following differences characteristic of it.

Firstly, the latter should include the fact that the initial stage of the implementation of the proposed method differs from the known technologies in that it includes the stage of the so-called "fine grinding" of pieces of the original ore containing aluminum compounds.

During its implementation, any lumpy material crushing methods known in industrial production are used, for example, performed using ball mills. When applying the above device to achieve this goal, the pieces of the initial raw material mass used in the proposed method during its execution were ground using clay particles having overall dimensions from 0.001 mm to 1.0 mm.

The implementation of this “grinding” of large lumps of rock provided the possibility of further formation of clay from viscous particles of fine particles that were homogeneous and not stratified into individual components over a long period of time — an aqueous suspension. In order to create the latter, it will only be necessary to add to the clay volume thus obtained the required amount of water (30-40% of the total mass of this material). After performing this action, the bicomponent substance thus obtained is thoroughly mixed. To carry out this operation, any equipment reassigned to accomplish this purpose can be used, for example, an ordinary paddle mechanical stirrer.

The homogeneous “mud-like” portion of the volume of the aqueous suspension 2 formed at the end of its holding, consisting of these two above substances, is then placed in the cavity of the loading hopper 1, which is part of the device used for processing this raw material. After completing the stage of such loading, all winding coils 15 included in the circuits 5 are immediately and simultaneously connected to an external power source and, in addition, the rotation drive of the feed screw 4 comes into operation, as well as the connection of the blowing nozzles 6 to the external one supplying compressed air under overpressure, mains. Through the loading hole "B", the portions of the raw material 2 located in the lower part of the hopper 1 fall down, falling into the internal cavity of the housing 3 used for processing the device. The volumes of water suspension 2 previously obtained in the manner described above are picked up by the blades of a rotating feed screw 4 and moved with the help of the latter along the internal cavity of the housing in the direction from its front end to its rear part. In the process of such “pushing”, the rotating blades of the screw 4 produce crushing of larger portions of the raw materials placed in the cavity of the housing 3 into smaller ones, periodically lifting them to a certain height above the horizon, and also dumping them from there at certain intervals, into the lowest zone of the housing 3. Through any relatively small number of revolutions of the screw 4 made around the longitudinal axis of symmetry, the mass of the processed material 2 filling the cavity of the housing 3 is carried out by the blades along last in the area of influence created by the very first of the installed circuits 5 of an alternating rotating magnetic field.

The formation of the latter proceeds with the following characteristic features, the presence of which determines the receipt of the required positive effect when implementing the proposed method. When conducting a review of the reasons leading to the appearance of these factors of its influence, it must be remembered that the casing 3, filled with a fluid mass of the raw material suspension processed in it, was made in through grooves “B” made for this purpose and used in the device of magnetic generators (see Fig. 1). Those. in fact, the housing 3 of the device used is laid through artificially created “slots” (ie, grooves “B”) left in them for this purpose. Moreover, such a “laying” was carried out with the formation of the same type of mounting clearances “a” at the points of passage of its outer surface through the body of any circuit 5 included in this magnetic system used for processing.

In addition, it should also be noted that the magnetic generators included in it are placed at the same distance from each other.

Due to the fact that three units are included in each of the magnetic circuits 5 per one generator, the coil windings 15 are included in an external electric circuit at the time of the processing process, and as a result, each of them starts to perform the function of a solenoid. In this case, it is also necessary to indicate also that each winding-coil 15 available in any circuit 5 is connected when it is switched on only for it, which corresponds to the phase of a three-phase external electric power supply, to its supply current.

When making such a connection, any separately taken from these winding coils 15 begins to generate a magnetic alternating field around itself.

Such individual fields obtained in the installation zones of winding coils 15, passing through the volume including solenoids of this kind and constituting each individual circuit of the magnetically conductive elements 14, are summarized in them with the formation in each circuit 5 ultimately of a single common.

Since an alternating electric current is used to feed the winding coils 15, then, accordingly, such a total magnetic field created in zone “D” of each circuit 5 at the moment of passage of the processed raw material through it will also be variable (see Fig. 1 )

In addition, due to the fact that each of the three phases of the windings-coils 15 of the applied external power supply source used to power the generator has corresponding angular displacements of its sinusoidal pulses relative to neighboring ones, the total magnetic field created with them also as it were, it “rotates” in the area where its effect is carried out. The resulting magnetic flux, which is formed inside each individual circuit 5 torn apart by an installation groove “B”, strives to combine the half formed by this artificially performed dismemberment into a single whole, making a kind of “jump” through the air space separating them, as well as through on the trajectory of its flight adjacent to this zone volumes of the internal cavity of the housing 3 of this device (see figure 1). Those. the trajectory of its movement inside any individual contour 5 will be a kind of “closed loop”. Thus, the corresponding zones located near the magnetic generators in the internal cavity of the housing 3 turn into peculiar steps, based on which this kind of transition between the working elements 14 in the circuits 5 used for processing becomes feasible with the least possible energy loss.

Those. the volumes of the housing 3 filled with the water suspension being processed by the water carry out at the moment of connection of the halves of the circuit separated by groove “B” into the whole physical fields formed in it, respectively, the role of closing connecting links for the magnetic fluxes generated and created using these systems.

All of the above and ensures the maximum possible concentration of the lines of force formed in the device of magnetic fields directly in the zones where the conversion of raw particles into the desired final product takes place.

If we mentally imagine that it is necessary to connect the curves passing through the end points in a single figure, fixing the position of the end of the resulting total vector of such a magnetic flux during the last vibrational angular spatial movements with a given frequency (40-70 Hz) for a certain pre-selected period of time , then in the above manner using the latter, and a spatial “ellipsoid” will be obtained. It should be noted that this spatial ellipsoid (see zone "D" in Fig. 1, Fig. 2) is located in the zones of the housing 3 filled with processed raw material 2, almost overlapping all its mass in this region with its own body.

The narrowing of the front and rear ends of this ellipsoid "D" is due, first of all, to an increase in the value of magnetic resistance, which inevitably appears due to the occurrence of mounting clearances "a" formed when the housing 3 is placed in the "gap" formed by a system sequentially arranged one after another installation grooves "B". The latter, in turn, are made in the generators used to perform the processing. Due to the fact that this resulting vector obtained in the above manner makes this entire set of vibrational spatial displacements directly in the volume occupied by the processed medium 2, then clay particles located in it and gas molecules supplied to the same region carbon monoxide; methane, a whole series of “shocks” and “shocks” created by this vector and periodically repeating (40-70 Hz) collapses. At the same time, they are applied immediately from all sides and using the entire set of directions of their possible impact.

All these phenomena arise due to the fact that the resulting total magnetic flux vector generated directly in the processing zone, with a frequency set in the device (40-70 Hz), performs oscillatory angular movements in these areas, changing its spatial position not only with high speed but also its size (the latter moves inside a spatial ellipsoid elongated along the longitudinal axis). Under the influence of these artificially created in the layers of the processed raw materials and the volumes of gas bubbles arising in its mass, intensively acting on these components of this kind of “force” factors, the following processes begin to occur in the processing zones of the source material.

The reasons servicing their appearance should include, first of all, the fact that as a result of a powerful energy effect carried out by this magnetic flux, the atoms of their molecules that are involved in the construction of these components will inevitably be activated. The electrons of the latter in this case move to higher orbits relative to their nucleus. In this case, covalent molecular bonds previously existing between them are broken, and in these processing areas newly created ions appear, which are formed from the number of their constituent elements that were previously included in the initial molecular compounds.

In these very regions subjected to such magnetic “irradiation” and filled with the material to be processed, ultimately, activated molecular fragments arise, synthesized from the individual components that were previously made up and included in the recipe of the used raw material mixture, as well as from the bubbles filled through the suspension gases, of which the stream of compressed air supplied to it consists.

When a series of reactions subsequently takes place in the regions of such magnetic action, all compounds obtained during their implementation form crystalline “nuclei” of a new element that was previously absent in its composition — the metallic aluminum itself in the thickness of the suspension used.

When considering the whole complex of physical and chemical processes occurring in the processing zones, we must also remember the following. The clay particles used in the processing of the aqueous suspension intersect the magnetic fields generated in the device by picking up these components of the raw material mass and then pushing them from one part of the cavity of the housing 3 to others, using the blades of a rotating screw. The impact of the above elements, in addition to crushing large portions of the feedstock into smaller volumes, causes the latter to move in the area of the maximum possible concentration of the lines of force of the magnetic field generated there, along a complex spatial path (i.e., the possible points of their location are determined by the x, y, z). Thus, under the influence of this forced and continuously carried out transfer by the screw of the layers of the used raw material 2, the layers of particles that make it up, falling into the “D” zones (see FIG. 1), repeatedly change their initial orientation, thereby opening up the most convenient access to their constituent crystal structures generated in the indicated areas of magnetic fluxes.

Repeatedly “scrolling” the indicated raw microvolumes relative to their own “symmetry axes” during the intersection of the systems acting on the last magnetic fields formed in the cavity of the housing 3 of the system, and ultimately determines the optimal value of the rate of conversion of the particles of the starting material into metal, as well as the completeness its implementation (that is, it creates the prerequisites for eliminating the possibility of “embedding” foreign impurities in the crystal lattice formed during processing).

Taking into account all the foregoing, it can be concluded that during the operations of “magnetization” in the volume of an aqueous suspension filling the body 3, the thickness of which gas bubbles “pierce” created when streams of compressed air are supplied to its layers, the following reactions proceed.

Al ₂ O ₃ → 2Al ⁺³ + 3O ^-2 ;

CO → C ⁺² + O ^-2 ;

CO ₂ → C ⁺⁴ + 2O ^-2 ;

CH ₄ → C ⁺⁴ + 4H ⁺ ;

Al ₂ O ₃ + C + ⁴ → 2Al ⁺³ + CO ₂ + O ^-2 ;

C ⁺² + O ^-2 → COo;

H ₂ O → 2H ⁺ + O ^-2 ;

3O ^-2 + O ^-2 → 2O ₂ ;

2H ⁺ + O ^-2 → H ₂ O;

Al ⁺³ + 3e → Al ⁰ ;

The above analysis shows that the atomic carbon C ⁺⁴ obtained from carbon-containing molecules that make up the atmosphere of gases (CO; CO ₂ , CH ₄ ) during the implementation of “magnetic shocks” applied to them ultimately takes away the oxide from the molecule atomic oxygen released during its decay, combining with the latter. In addition to the above, reverse reactions also occur in the treatment zone, with the formation of gas volumes that, under the conditions of this powerful and continuously performed energy exposure, have a minimum of their internal energy (Н ₂ О and СО ₂ ). Due to the presence of the action of the whole complex of conditions indicated above, metal aluminum thus obtained is a crystal that is stable with respect to all these external artificially created factors, which do not transfer into connection with other components located next to them under the conditions of this intensively conducted energy exposure.

Those. Under the above processing conditions in the zone of chemical reactions, the conversion of the components falling there occurs with a shift in its chemical equilibrium towards the highest probability of the formation of metallic aluminum in the latter and new microvolumes emerging in the process of crystallization of gases emerging in this region.

Other pollutants, which are also part of the impurities present in the feedstock, will be transformed into new crystalline structures in exactly the same way as metal aluminum itself, and subsequently they will form lamellar wastes that appear at the end of the processing process (“slags” "). The "nuclei" made of aluminum made by the above method, in the very first zone of magnetic influence carried out in it, try to move to the lower part of the body cavity 3 by the action of gravitational forces. Moving in the layers of the last water suspension 2 filling in the vertical direction from the upper point of their initial placement in the lowest, these “embryos” of newly obtained metal capture along the road small particles of clay from the raw material surrounding them on all sides, and “clothe tsya ”in a peculiar coating consisting of them (as if fastening a“ fur coat ”sewn from these components onto itself). As a rule, they never succeed in reaching the lowest region of the housing 3, since they inevitably collide with the surface of the blade of the screw rotating in the cavity of the housing 3 of the screw 4, which changes their angular position, and, when they catch it, they, together with the unreacted force of any complex of adverse conditions for this, in portions of the initial raw material 2, they are “pushed” further by the screw, i.e. fall into the area of influence of the second installed at a given distance from the first magnetic circuit 5.

This promotion of the processed mass of the used raw material in the direction from the front end of the housing 3 to its rear is facilitated by installing it at an angle to the horizon. The value of this angle is 10-20 °. Sent to the formation zone by the second circuit 5 used in the device, which intensively affects the surrounding area of space, magnetic flux, this mass of raw material 2 passes through the same transformations as took place in the magnetic "irradiation" zone, carried out by the very first used in device of magnetic generators.

The difference in the processing processes in the above areas of the housing 3 will consist only in the fact that not only clay particles that are in the volume of the aqueous suspension, but also imparted a “fur coat” consisting of the latter, the “nuclei" of crystalline aluminum already obtained. As a result, under the influence of a powerful magnetic field generated by the second circuit in the mass of the raw material crossing the zone of its application, in addition to the existing ones, newly created small centers from the metal crystallizing there are added.

On the other hand, the “fur coat” that has grown on the previously “embryos” from small particles of clay is transformed, due to the presence of the action of the above factors, into a full-fledged metal coating. Those. small crystalline aluminum due to the implementation of this kind of "growth", which occurs when the coating covering its outer surface consisting of clay "fur coat" in the newly formed metal structure based on it, significantly increases its originally obtained dimensions. Leaving the treatment zone created by the magnetic flux generated by the second generator of the device used, and the raw material mass 2 converted by the above method continues to carry out its movement through the cavity of the housing 3.

The scheme of its implementation exactly matches the one that was indicated earlier, when describing the features of the process of transferring volumes of the same material inside such a device into the installation area of the first generator on it.

Due to this, the inevitability of the supply of partially processed raw material 2 is already ensured even in the zone of intense magnetic exposure carried out using the third of the same type of magnetic circuits 5 used in the device.

The previously discussed processes of the conversion of compounds from aluminum to metal in the field of influence of the magnetic field generated and in the third circuit 5 will proceed in the latter in exactly the same way as in the installation zones of other generators used in the device i.e. first and second.

The peculiarity of their implementation will consist only in the fact that almost all clay particles included in the aqueous suspension are “attached” to new metal crystals forming in this part of the device’s body.

Such newly obtained metal germs will necessarily “dress” in this zone the remaining microvolumes of this clay directly on themselves, using them as a kind of raw material coating made of these last residues in this zone.

Thus, at the final stage of performing this kind of processing, the raw material mass formed in the zone of influence of the third magnetic circuit and converted under the influence of the magnetic flux generated by it is transferred by the rotating screw 4 to another part of the cavity of the housing 3, further removed from its front the end.

As a result of this, this kind of material ultimately enters the installation zone in the device of the fourth contour 5.

In the process of carrying out the last, “finishing” part of the processing step, in the above region, located in the zone of operation of the magnetic flux generated by the fourth contour, the last residues are removed from the volume of material already “saturated” with small and large crystalline “nuclei” of aluminum. clay particles in it. These components are converted into metal crystals, and subsequently, falling under the influence of the same magnetic flux created in the same zone, they begin to perform the functions of a “building mortar”, which provides for the connection of small “nuclei” that stick together in this section of the casing into larger ones granules.

When considering the final stage of the proposed method of processing raw materials in the installation area of the last magnetic generator, it should be noted that the synthesis of large pieces of metal from smaller ones in this area is caused by the effect of the “bonding” on small crystalline formations located there, which, in the strength of its presence, they are interconnected and form larger “aggregates”, in the indicated time period of its implementation, it is a pre-emptive process.

Since the processing of raw materials continues without any intermediate stops associated with its execution, the “enlarged” metal granules 10 obtained in the above region of the housing 3 are transferred by the screw 4 to the plane of the exit opening “G”. The granules 10 moved by its blades onto the open surface of this section of the cavity of the housing 3, the granules 10 slide into this aperture that does not have any fencing, and ultimately fall into the cavity of the storage hopper used for collecting them 9. The process of processing the feedstock at the end of it The fourth stage can be considered already completed.

After opening its shutter 13, it is possible to carry out the output of the material accumulated in the hopper 9 into any technological container suitable for carrying out its subsequent transportation.

The decrease in the volume of raw material 2 as a continuous process of its processing takes place in the cavity of the housing 3 is constantly compensated by the supply of new portions of the last from the cavity of the loading hopper connected by the input aperture “B”, which directly communicates with the latter. Since the raw material 2 used is a viscous plastic mass, as its volume decreases in the cavity of the front end of the housing 3, new portions of the raw material easily pass from the hopper 1 to the vacant place there, without experiencing any additional difficulties (i.e. . Their submission is carried out "by gravity").

Gases generated during the recovery of metal from its raw material compounds, as well as excess air accumulated in the cavity of the housing 3, are automatically removed from the cavity 3 by means of the hollow nozzles 7 mounted on its front and rear ends, equipped with pressure reducing valves 8. Removing the specified gas components produced due to their release into the surrounding device of the external atmosphere, at the moment of operation of the pressure reducing valve set to the specified overpressure and included in the design of the pipe 7 lapana 8.

The operation of the device used in the implementation of the proposed method can be carried out around the clock, with stops being made only for the purpose of carrying out the necessary repairs.

In addition to the granules obtained by processing metal aluminum 10, slag waste having a plate shape also enters into the storage hopper 9 and which is formed during processing from the various raw materials included in the composition of the used raw materials.

Due to the fact that granules of aluminum and slag of this kind falling into the cavity of the hopper 9 together with them have sharply different sizes (dimensions A1 — one type is 6–9 mm; the second — 40–60 mm, for laminar waste forms - 1-3 mm) then the subsequent separation of these final products when unloading them from the hopper can be carried out without special difficulties using a system that includes ordinary calibrated sieves.

As the raw material for the implementation of the proposed processing method, any lenses of the breed can be used, the formulation of which includes clay particles as one of their constituent components.

Their processing can be carried out without involving any additional operations for their preparation or enrichment.

Those. If a clay ore deposit is close to its processing zone, then it will be suitable for obtaining chemically pure metal aluminum from this deposit.

If the raw material is “poor” in the content of aluminum oxide, then, correspondingly, the indicators characterizing the percentage ratio of the metal yield from the volumes of the starting material used for its synthesis will fall. However, taking into account the high purity of the final product being produced, its production even in this case will be referred to processes, the implementation of which can be considered quite economically viable.

The processing of the aqueous suspension, carried out in accordance with the proposed technology, is carried out at an intensity of alternating rotating magnetic fields, measured directly in the zone of its execution, amounting to 4 × 10 ⁴ ÷ 1 × 10 ⁶ a / m.

The oscillation frequency of these magnetic fields is in the range of 40-70 Hz. When performing the proposed method for producing aluminum from feedstock, a four-loop magnetic system mounted on the device’s body was used.

As shown by experimental verification, such a system can include the above components in an amount from 2 to 6. The choice of just such a scheme for installing magnetic generators on the case used to process the device is determined primarily by the following considerations.

When using only one contour in the device, and not two, the conditions are created for “growing” into the metal granules formed in the processing zones a large number of atoms of foreign elements, which are necessarily present in the composition of the raw material used for processing.

With an increase in the amount of such elements over 6 units, it is not possible to obtain any additional positive effect in the process of processing the aqueous suspension. At the same time, the use of an excessive number of such constituent elements in the magnetic system used in the device leads to its complication, and increases the operating costs necessary for the processing of raw materials.

Based on the foregoing, upon receipt of metallic aluminum, the processing of the raw material used was carried out using a system consisting of generators arranged evenly along the housing of the device using their optimal amount - i.e. four circuits were used in the system.

The total length of the housing used to implement the proposed technology of the device was 1.5 meters. Its overall dimensions i.e. width and height corresponded to values of 0.2 m × 0.2 m (square in cross section).

The range of possible changes in the angles of inclination of this body to the horizon is in the range of 10-20 °.

In this particular case, when performing experiments, the data of which are given below, this angle of inclination was 15 °.

To simplify the design of the magnetic circuit, the installation on the device’s body of this kind of its constituent elements was carried out at an angle of 90 ° to the plane of the outer surface of the latter. Those. these contours during their installation, respectively, also had an angle of inclination with respect to the vertical equal to the same 15 °. Using the above installation option, uniformly covering the through-slot groove of the device, made in each of the generators used in this system, it was an ordinary rectangular parallelepiped (rather than a complex figure formed when the spatial volume of the body of the working element intersects at an angle to it secant plane).

Before starting the process for producing metal aluminum, 200-240 kg of the initial raw material (or 340-350 kg of the mixture formed on its basis) was loaded into the loading hopper, which is part of the proposed device.

The latter was a two-component aqueous suspension obtained by mixing small clay particles in a given volume of water.

The clay rock used in this slurry was extracted from the nearest quarry in which it was developed to meet the needs of the construction industry. Before starting the preparation of the aqueous suspension, an operation was carried out to break its large pieces into smaller ones using a conventional ball mill.

The resulting particles of the feedstock had overall dimensions in the range from 0.001 mm to 1 mm. The processing time of the specified volume of raw materials using the above four-circuit system and using the above range of values of the intensity of the alternating magnetic field was 51-80 minutes (0.85-1.33 hours).

The yield of aluminum metal, calculated on the use of 200-240 kg in the aqueous suspension of the above clay rock, at the end of the processing process reached 34.2-36.9 kg (i.e. 17.1 ÷ 18.25% of the total its applied volume).

These indicators come close enough to the theoretically possible limit that determines the amount of metal produced from the feedstock at the percentage of aluminum oxide in the ore used in the process indicated below.

The degree of purity obtained in the implementation of the proposed method of the metal corresponds to a value of 99.99992% (ie, such aluminum meets the criterion of "chemically pure").

If it is necessary to maintain the obtained purity value in a metal manufactured using the proposed method, in the process of its accumulation and further transportation, an inert gas medium can be used to isolate the final product thus formed from adverse external influences. It may include argon gas, which is quite common in industrial sectors.

The granules obtained by processing the raw materials by the proposed method can be divided into 2 types. The first type is granules with overall dimensions from 6 to 10 mm. Their amount relative to the metal mass obtained by processing is 60-70%. The second type of granules has overall dimensions equal to 40-60 mm, their content in the total metal volume formed by the processing, respectively, reaches a value of 30-40%. Along with such metal granules, the composition of the final product obtained during the implementation of the proposed method includes lamellar wastes generated from various impurities included in the feedstock. They have overall dimensions from 1 to 3 mm, their number relative to the initial mass used to form the aqueous suspension of the rock, reaches a value of 49-54%.

The remaining processed products are represented by the volumes of gases received there formed in the cavity of the device casing and ejected into the outside atmosphere.

Occupied by the device used in the case of processing the specified raw materials using the proposed technology, the production area is 2.5 m ² .

The amount of metal produced with its use corresponds to 1 ton, provided that work is carried out in a three-shift mode.

The amount of consumed electrical energy to obtain the above volume of aluminum is in the range of 2-2.5 thousand kW. hours.

The current classical method of its manufacture is associated with the need to use it in quantities corresponding to the value of 17-18.5 thousand kW. hour.

It should also be borne in mind that in the implementation of the most widely used in industrial production processing options for aluminum raw materials, it is necessary to carry out the process of vacuum refining of the primary metal made with their help.

The presence of the above circumstance determines that in order to obtain the specified final product, it will be necessary to attract an additional amount of electric energy necessary for the implementation of this operation. As a result of this, its total amount used for processing will obviously exceed the limits already indicated above.

The proposed method is performed at room temperature (17 ° -27 ° C), and the processing of raw materials is carried out under the influence of excess pressure, which only slightly exceeds atmospheric pressure (by 0.1 ÷ 0.6 kgf / cm ² ).

The rotation speed of the pushing raw material from the beginning of the device body to its end of the screw is relatively small and is 6-10 rpm.

Technological modes used in the implementation of the proposed method for producing metal are assigned based on the following considerations.

The intensity of the alternating rotational magnetic field used to produce the metal, measured directly in the areas of influence on the processed raw materials by the magnetic fluxes generated in the device, as already mentioned, is 4 × 10 ⁴ ÷ 1 × 10 ⁶ a / m.

The use of less than the above values of this parameter - 4 × 10 ⁴ a / m does not provide the formation of conditions guaranteeing the release of metal from its compounds that are part of the original raw material mass. The use of higher values than 1 × 10 ⁶ a / m does not allow achieving any additional positive effect. At the same time, an increase in the magnitude of the magnetic fields used in the device above the specified limits of 1 × 10 ⁶ a / m will require additional costs used to generate the latest electrical energy.

The same factors also determine the selection of the frequency range of vibrations, within which the generation of alternating magnetic fields is carried out.

That is, when applying frequency values less than 40 Hz, the process of separation of aluminum metal from its compounds is difficult to implement when implementing the proposed technology.

The resulting magnetic flux vectors obtained during the generation of such variable magnetic fields act on the processed clay particles in this case with an insufficient degree of intensity.

Those. such resulting vectors in the volumes of the aqueous suspension surrounding them, including clay particles, move too “sluggishly”.

On the contrary, when the frequency value is higher than 70 Hz, the above vectors move in the zones of their influence so rapidly that clay particles falling on the path of their spatial transfer do not have time to interact with them. Again, in this case, the creation of optimal conditions for obtaining the necessary final product during processing is not guaranteed.

The purpose of the time intervals used to obtain the metal (0.85-1.33 hours) is based on the following. When the values of the time interval used in the processing of raw materials are less than 0.85 hours (51 minutes), the structural transformations necessary for the formation of this final product do not have time to completely finish in the particles themselves used for processing the raw material mass.

When applying the same time interval if its value is more than 1.33 hours, it is not ensured that any additional positive effect is achieved. At the same time, the use of longer than necessary time intervals leads to an inevitable increase in the total costs associated with the implementation of this kind of process of processing the feedstock into the above final product.

Based on these same considerations, the amount of excess pressure supplied through the external line to the compressed air nozzles distributing it was also assigned. The volumes of the latter arrive at these elements, having an overpressure of 0.1 ÷ 0.6 kgf / cm ² .

When the values in the volumes of compressed air supplied to these nozzles of excess pressure are less than 0.1 kgf / cm ² , indicators characterizing the productivity of the process for producing aluminum metal fall. When the values of this parameter are greater than 0.6 kgf / cm ² , it is not possible to provide additional intensification of its implementation.

At the same time, when using values of the excess pressure in the volumes of compressed air supplied to such elements of the device that are larger than this value indicated above, the costs required to obtain and supply electric energy used in these areas increase.

The percentage of clay particles in the composition of the aqueous suspension used in the processing process, having a value of 60-70%, is assigned based on the presence of the following factors.

When the concentration of this kind of component in the latter is less than 60%, the raw material used turns into “poor”, which negatively affects the efficiency of the processing of raw materials, since the yield of the required final product is significantly reduced.

With an increase in its content above a value of 70%, the processed raw material mass sharply decreases the indicators determining the degree of its plasticity. This ultimately makes it very difficult to carry out the process of moving it from the loading hopper into the cavity of the device body, as well as the subsequent transfer of the volumes of such material constituting the raw material on the inner surface of the latter.

The presence of the above circumstance also negatively affects the results provided by the implementation of the proposed technology for the production of aluminum metal.

The choice of values of the angles of inclination of 10-20 ° of the longitudinal axis of the device’s body to the horizon line was made taking into account the possibility of the following circumstances affecting the processing of raw materials.

When the values of the angle of inclination of less than 10 °, the rate of passage of a viscous water suspension from the beginning of the device to its very end is substantially slowed down. This can adversely affect the quality characteristics obtained with the application of the proposed method of the final product.

On the contrary, with an increase in the indicated angle to a value exceeding 20 °, the process of movement can be accelerated so much that the necessary structural transformations do not have time to go through the processed raw material. This circumstance, as in the variant discussed above, can also adversely affect the results characterizing the efficiency of the process.

The speed range (6-10 rpm) within which the screw is rotated is assigned taking into account the following considerations. When rotating it with an angular speed of less than 6 rpm, the movement of the raw material inside the device’s body slows down so much that the yield of the required final product under the influence of this factor will be significantly reduced. When the values of the angular speed of rotation of the screw exceeding the value of 10 rpm, the processed material containing clay particles can pass through the regions of its reduction to metal formed in the device’s body and cross them in an unreasonably short period of time.

The presence of this circumstance will serve in this case as an obvious obstacle to the occurrence of structural transformations necessary for obtaining the final product in the latter.

In connection with all this, the relative range of rotation speed of the screw in the housing is set in the range of 6-10 rpm.

To carry out the process of producing aluminum metal carried out using the proposed method, ordinary building clay was used, the necessary volumes of which were removed from a nearby quarry, in which the rocks lying in it were extracted to meet the corresponding needs of the construction industry. The clay used as the main component to obtain the starting raw material contained the following compounds:

aluminum oxide Al ₂ O ₃ - 38.3%

silicon oxide SiO ₂ - 41.6%

iron oxide Fe ₂ O ₃ - 6.4%

calcium carbonate CaCO ₂ - 2.9%

magnesium carbonate MgCO ₃ - 0.88%

sodium carbonate Na ₂ CO ₃ - 0.66%

water Н ₂ О - the rest is up to 100%

To carry out all of the experiments below to obtain aluminum metal using the proposed method, the same type of raw material was used, formed using clay rock having the same composition specified above.

Before starting the preparation of an aqueous suspension loaded into the processing device, pieces of clay ore used in it were crushed using a ball mill to obtain clay particles from them, the dispersion of which corresponded to a value of 0.001-1.0 mm. The impurities that make up the feedstock are Si compounds; Fe; Ca; Mg; Na at the final stages of processing turned into solid grayish-brown lamellar wastes.

In the case of preliminary enrichment of the original ore. the resulting yield of aluminum metal from the volume of the used rock will accordingly increase relative to the previously indicated. However, the implementation of this operation is associated with significant additional financial and labor costs, and this technique was not applied in the series of examples below. For the production of metal was used only the so-called "poor" and not cleaned from impurities "ore". But from it, as already noted above, the performance of aluminum reached quite significant values. Milled into small particles containing clay, the source rock was then poured with the required volume of tap water and mixed until a homogeneous viscous aqueous suspension was obtained from these two components.

After obtaining the latter, the volume of suspension formed by this operation was loaded directly into the hopper of the device used to obtain the metal. Further, the process of implementing the proposed method is illustrated using a number of examples below.

Example 1. In a feed hopper with a capacity of the last 350 l was placed an aqueous suspension, the content of which clay particles with a dispersion of 0.001-1.0 mm was 200 kg or 60% of its volume. The rest of the water is 143 kg or 40% of the total volume of raw materials obtained by mixing the constituent components. After the loading operation was completed, they simultaneously turned on: a rotation drive supplying feed of screw 4 at a speed of 6 rpm, electrical windings of coil 15 in all four generators mounted on the housing 3 of the device, and compressed air was supplied through all nozzles 6. Its entry to the latter from the external highway was carried out under an overpressure of 0.6 kgf / cm ² . The housing 3 of the device used tilted to the horizon. The value of this angle of inclination was 15 °. The tension generated in all four circuits 5, evenly spaced along the housing 3 of the proposed device of magnetic fields, measured directly in the working areas "D" using the Hall sensor and the measuring bridge, was 4 * 10 ⁴ A \ M. Their oscillation frequency corresponded to a value of 70 Hz. The processing time in this example corresponded to a value of 1.33 hours. A water suspension 2 of clay particles passing through the housing 3 of the proposed device, under the influence of magnetic fluxes formed in the contours 5, was turned into a set of aluminum metal granules with various sizes, and into lamellar wastes consisting of impurity compounds included in the feedstock.

Thus, at the end of the process of processing the aqueous suspension, metallic aluminum was obtained, the amount of which was equal to 35.4 kg - 17.7%, as well as lamellar waste, the mass of which was equal to 108 kg. The overall dimensions of the plates included in the above slags were in the range from 1 mm to 3 mm, and the plates themselves had a grayish-brown color shade.

The rest of the processed rock was represented by 7 volumes of gases (CO ₂ ; H ₂ O) released through the outlet pipes, which were sent directly to the atmosphere surrounding the device.

Metal granules obtained by processing with sizes from 6 to 10 mm amounted to 70% of the total weight formed at the end of the metal process - i.e. 24.8 kg respectively;

The rest of its amount was accounted for by granules of metal with a size of 40-60 mm i.e. 10.6 kg or 30%. The degree of purity of the metal obtained by processing was relative to the content in the granules formed by such processing, both small and large, of aluminum itself, equal to 99.99993%.

Example 2. The processing of the feedstock was carried out in accordance with the scheme that was indicated in example 1.

The amount used for the preparation of an aqueous suspension of clay-containing rock was 240 kg; or 70% of its mass, the rest water - 103 kg or 30% of its total volume. The air supply to the processed raw materials was carried out under an excess pressure of 0.1 kgf / cm ² .

The screw rotation drive provided a speed of its angular displacement equal to 10 rpm. The angle of inclination of the device’s body to the horizon line remained the same as in example 1-15 °. The intensity of the magnetic fields generated in all four circuits 5 in the "D" zones was 1 * 10 A \ M, at a frequency of 40 Hz.

The processing time was 51 minutes (0.85 hours). The mass of aluminum granules obtained after the end of the processing process had a weight of 43.8 kg (18.25%). The volume of plate slags formed as a result of processing was 117.6 kg; the rest of the raw material used to produce the metal was represented by gases released from the device into the outside atmosphere. The purity of the obtained metal corresponded to a value of 99.99991%.

The number of granules of aluminum metal isolated from the last starting raw material containing the compound, with sizes of 6-10 mm, amounted to 60% of its total volume, or 26.3 kg. The rest obtained at the end of the processing process, its mass was made up of granules with sizes of 40-60 mm - about 40% of the total amount, or 17.5 kg.

Example 3. The treatment obtained from clay particles of an aqueous suspension was carried out in accordance with the scheme specified in examples 1.2.

The amount of clay-containing rock contained in the applied aqueous suspension was 220 kg or 65%, the rest of the water - 118.5 kg or 35% of its total mass. The supply of compressed air to the processed raw materials was carried out under an excess pressure of 0.4 kgf / cm ² . The screw was rotated at a speed of 8 rpm. The angle of inclination of the device to the horizon line was the same as in the example of 1.2-15 °. The tension of all created in the zones "D" and located in the zone of action of all four magnetic field generators was 0.8 * 10 ⁵ A \ M, and the frequency of the latter was 50 Hz. The time period after which the entire volume of the feedstock was processed into the desired final product was 60 minutes (1 hour). The mass of metal obtained as a result of its execution had a weight of 39.6 kg, or 18% of the amount of rock used to produce it.

The weight of the plate waste volume formed together with the metal was 113.5 kg. The remaining volume of the raw material used to produce the metal was converted into gases removed from the cavity of the device used to produce aluminum, directly into the surrounding atmosphere. The degree of purity - formed by processing granules of aluminum metal, relative to its content in the latter, corresponded to a value of 99.99992%.

The amount of metal granules obtained by processing having dimensions of 6-1.0 mm was 65%, or 25.7 kg. The remaining volume of metal accumulated at the end of the metal processing process was represented by granules with sizes of 40-60 mm, i.e. 35% of the volume obtained by processing, or, respectively, 13.9 kg.

From all the examples presented above, it is clearly seen that the production of metallic aluminum, which is characterized by a high degree of purity, can be carried out using any clay-containing ore raw materials, the determination of the deposits of which is not associated with the implementation of laborious geological exploration. When performing the proposed method, the latter is not subjected to either enrichment or purification from the impurities contained in it, represented by other elements common in nature. The presence of the above circumstances suggests that the application of the proposed method can be quite effective if used to meet the needs of existing industrial production.

In the future, in the materials presented below, structural principles are set forth in accordance with which the device used to implement this method is implemented, the presence of which, ultimately, ensures that the necessary positive effect is obtained during its application.

Used to implement the proposed method, the device is shown in figure 1, figure 2.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of the housing of the device and the layout of the processing providing the raw materials of the magnetic circuits.

Figure 2 is a cross-section along aa of the device body, made in that part of it, on which the magnetic generator used in the multi-loop system is installed.

Figure 1, figure 2 in turn shows:

Position 1 - loading hopper, with the mass of processed feedstock 2 placed in its volume.

Position 2 - processed source material, consisting of pre-ground pieces of clay and water.

Position 3 - the housing of the device, in the internal cavity of which the processing of the feedstock 2 proceeds.

Position 4 - screw auger, the blades of which carry out the movement of processed raw materials from the front end of the housing 3 to its rear.

Position 5 - mounted on the housing 3 with the gaps "a" on the body 3, the magnetic circuits processing raw materials having an angle of inclination to the outer surface of the body equal to 90 °.

Position 6 - nozzles passing through the walls of the housing 3, supplying compressed air jets to the mass of the processed raw material, and placed on the housing 3 in rows spaced from each other at equal distances.

Position 7 - hollow pipes mounted on the front and rear parts of the housing 3, the lower end of which extends into the internal volume of the housing 3, and the upper provides a communication cavity of the latter with the outside atmosphere.

Position 8 - separating the lower end of the pipe 7 from the upper pressure reducing valve, which allows the flow of gas volumes coming from the cavity of the housing 3, in case the pressure in it exceeds the value set by its setting.

Position 9 - the storage hopper, which is the discharge obtained by processing in the cavity of the housing 3 of its final products.

Position 10 - metal aluminum granules accumulated in the volume of the storage hopper and slag waste dumped there.

Position 11 - racks for fixing the housing 3 of the device at a given angle to the horizon line on its very base.

Position 12 - the same rack, providing fixation in a predetermined position used in the device magnetic circuits 5.

Position 13 is a shutter, by means of which the lower part of the hopper 9 is opened, in the case when the latter is completely filled.

Position 14 - magnetically conductive elements, circuit 5, with the help of which optimal conditions are created for the passage of the total magnetic flux generated in their volume.

Position 15 - electric windings - coils that perform the function of solenoids, and which, when they are included in the electric circuit, provide the formation of alternating magnetic fields.

Position 16 - made on the front and rear ends of the screw 4 of the axis, with which it is provided with its continuous rotation in the cavity of the housing 3.

Letters "a" - installation air gaps formed during the installation of the housing 3 in the through groove "B" of the magnetic circuit.

The letter "B" is a through groove made in one of the components of the magnetic circuit of the element 14, in the cavity of which the housing 3 of the device used is located.

The letter "B" - formed in the housing 3 adjacent to the lower end of the hopper 1 inlet opening, through which the supply of raw material into its internal cavity.

The letter "G" is a similar exit opening in the housing 3, through which the final products obtained therefrom are removed.

The letter "D" - spatial ellipsoids formed in the process of vibrational angular displacement generated by magnetic circuits 5 resulting vectors of total magnetic fluxes.

The letters "φ" - the angle of inclination of the longitudinal axis of symmetry of the housing 3 to the horizon level - 10 ° -20 °, as well as the end planes of the generators 5 mounted on the housing 3 relative to the vertical line - 10 ° -20 °.

You should pay attention to the fact that indicated in figure 1; figure 2 a device for implementing the proposed method, has the following features of its design, namely:

Fixing the housing 3 at a given angle to the horizon and the surface of the base is carried out using a system of racks 11 (see figure 1). Similarly, the placement of used in the device, and the same mounted with an inclination to the outer surface of the housing 3 generators is carried out - i.e. using their supporting racks 12.

The rotation of the screw screw 4 is carried out on the axes 16 passing through the end walls of the housing 3 and fixed therein in the respective bearings (not shown in the drawing). One of these axes 16 has a kinematic connection with an external drive of rotation of the screw 4 (shown in the drawing). The flowing air jets to the raw material mass 2 of the nozzle 6 (see FIG. 1) are placed uniformly along the body of the housing 3, forming alternating rows. Moreover, they are, as it were, located around the perimeter obtained during the section of the same building of 3 squares, if you mentally draw a secant plane through it, located at a spatial angle to its longitudinal axis, the value of which is 90 °. Nozzles 6 are also fixed at equal distances from each other, and have relative to the surface to which they are attached both tangential and radial angles of inclination of 30-45 ° (these angles are not shown in the drawing). The use of just such a arrangement of nozzles 6 on the outer surface of the housing 3 (i.e., at two angles of inclination) allows not only to supply the necessary gas for the process of metal reduction from its connected portions, but also to additionally carry out the moment of getting compressed air jets formed in them into the body cavity, intensive mixing of the last microvolumes of the processed raw materials located in the impact zone 2.

In order to simplify the design of the proposed device, its casing 3 in the cross section has the shape of a square, in the center of which is mounted a spiral screw screw rotating therein 4. Accordingly, the through groove "B", made for placement in the generators 5 of the casing 3, has a simple rectangular shape, which is ensured by the presence of tilt angles φ of their end planes relative to the vertical. It should also be indicated that Fig. 1 shows the magnetic circuits 5 mounted on the housing 3 — the first of four fasteners mounted near its very front part, and the last — the fourth, most closely offset to its rear end.

The second and third of the circuits 5 in the drawing of figure 1 are not shown, since they fell into the zone of the conditional gap, made about half of the entire length of the housing 3, to simplify the reading of the drawing.

All four generators 5 are placed along the housing 3 at the same distance from each other, and from its front and rear ends.

The installation of all magnetic circuits 5 on the outer surface of the housing 3 of the proposed device is carried out using the through rectangular grooves “B” made in them, through which the body of the latter passes. In the process of mounting these magnetic generators on the casing 3, the air gaps "a" marked in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 are created, the presence of which ensures the possibility of their placement in these zones, evenly spaced along the entire length of the casing 3.

The work of the proposed device in the process of producing aluminum from the raw materials used for this is as follows.

After loading the raw material 2 into the cavity of the loading hopper 1, the rotary drive of the helical spiral screw 4 located in the cavity of the housing 3 is turned on. Simultaneously with the beginning of the turning of its curved blades included in this assembly, all electric windings - coils 15, are connected to the external power source 14 of the four magnetic loops 5 used as part of the device are located in the magnetic conductive elements. At the same time, a pre-prepared plastic raw material mass 2 through the feed hole "B" comes from the hopper 1 into the internal cavity of the housing 3.

Its volumes at the very first stage of the processing process fall into its front part lying in the uppermost zone of the device. It should be noted that the level of vertical placement of structural elements of the housing 3 relative to the horizon is regulated by the appropriate selection of the length of the struts 11 used to fix its base (see figure 1). Portions of raw material entering the above region of the housing 3 are picked up by the curved blades of the rotating screw 4, mixed, and their total mass is divided with the participation of the latter into separate microvolumes that previously comprised it. Obtained in the above manner, small portions of the aqueous suspension 2, continuing to perform the process of such translational movement, fall into the zone of generation of a powerful magnetic flux "D", which is created using the very first of the four generators used (see figure 1). Microvolumes of raw material 2 sent to this part of the cavity of the housing 3 inevitably intersect the force lines located there and concentrated over a relatively small area, the alternating rotating magnetic field formed in this region. You should also pay attention to the fact that towards the flows created using the screw 4, which include microvolumes of the raw material used, jets of compressed air are sent, which are formed in nozzles fixed on the outer surface of the casing 6. The latter are connected to the compressed air supply under excess pressure (0.1-0.6 kg \ cm ²⁾ supply their outer pipe (not shown) at the same time, when the operation entering and remaining service systems processing offers small Guy device (network power magnetic circuits 5, the feed screw rotation drive 4).

Due to the presence of radial and tangential angles of inclination of the nozzles 6 with respect to the outer surface of the housing 3 (not shown in the drawing), the compressed air jets formed by them meeting with the same neighboring ones form a kind of “swirl” at the places of such intersection. Since the points of such a “crossing” of compressed air flows generated in the cavity 3, as a rule, fall into the zones of passage of the microvolumes of the raw materials 2 that are transported through the cavity of the housing 3, meeting with the layers composing them, the “vortices” that arise there provide their additional and intensive mixing. In addition, they also carry out their main function - they add carbon fragments to the molecular fragments activated by a powerful magnetic flux, which are part of the aqueous suspension used, to restore carbon to the metal. The latter, as noted earlier, is part of the carbon-containing gases present in ordinary atmospheric air.

Like the other raw components, the molecules of these gases, falling into the “D” zone, are activated using the powerful magnetic flux generated in this region and are destroyed in it with the formation of carbon reducing agents in the above volume. The arrival of these ions to the maximum possible concentration of field lines generated in this part of the cavity of the body 3 of the magnetic field, activated with the participation of the latter, to fragments of raw materials, and provides optimal conditions for the process of reduction of aluminum metal from its compounds containing this element. Thus, leaving the region of the internal cavity of the housing 3, located in the installation area of the first generator and pushed by the screw 4, the mass of raw material is “enriched” with small crystalline nuclei of the metal obtained there. The latter are evenly distributed in its volume due to the ongoing process of intensive mixing of portions of raw material as rotating auger blades and jets of compressed air supplied to the housing 3.

After passing through the installation zone of the first circuit 5, the volumes of the water suspension 2 filling the cavity of the housing 3, under the influence of the same blades rotating around the own longitudinal axis of the screw 4, are pushed further, already into the zone of generation of the magnetic flux created by the second circuit 5. The latter is separated from the first circuit 5 at a preselected and the same distance for the arrangement of the magnetic circuits used in the device (the second circuit is not shown in the drawing, it falls into the zone of conventionally performed gap trinity into two approximately equal halves). The movement of the processed raw materials in the direction from the front end of the housing 3 to the rear is facilitated by the angle of inclination of its longitudinal axis to the horizon (for the device shown in Fig. 1, the angle φ is 15 °). When passing portions of the processed raw material through the same area “D” of the second magnetic circuit 5, located at a predetermined distance from the installation site of the very first, the magnetic flux generated there acts on the incoming and constituent last components. As a result of this, the same phenomena will also be observed in this zone that occurred during the conversion of such compounds into the required final product and in the installation zone in the device of the very first such circuit.

The processes occurring in both cases do not have any significant differences. The only thing that should be noted is that the mass of raw material 2 that left the zone of the second magnetic circuit 5 will be enriched to a large extent by new metal crystals additionally formed in this area. Moreover, the latter, previously formed in the installation area of the very first generator, will increase its initial dimensions due to the addition of small crystals of this metal newly formed in the zone of influence of the second-circuit flow to the constituent outer layers of the crystal lattice. An increase in the size of the previously obtained “nuclei” will also occur due to the restoration of small clay particles that are previously adhered to metal onto the metal and are converted to metal. That is, the process of converting the “fur coat” covering them into a metal crystal lattice, which grows on the latter using the external components of these “embryos” layers as a material base used for this, proceeds as the specified processing stage continues. This kind of "enriched" by the metal obtained in the indicated areas of the raw material mass 2 moves further along the plane of the housing 3 installed with the slope used for processing the device. “Pushing” it in the direction from its front to the back, as already noted, continues to be carried out by curved blades of a screw screw 4 continuously rotating on the axes 16. Following this predetermined design of the device used, the trajectory “laid” in the cavity of the housing 3, microvolumes already saturated with metal at the previous stages of processing the raw material, ultimately fit into the zone of intensively performed exposure to magnetic flux, which is formed in the same zone "D" on the installation site on the body all 3 are already the third generator

In the above region, all the same processes will be observed as in the cases analyzed earlier, when considering phenomena occurring in similar parts of the cavity of the housing 3, in the zones of influence generated by the first and second circuits 5 of magnetic fields. Again, to the slight differences detected after passing the processed portions of the raw material mass and this one located in the installation zone of the third contour 5 of the region, the presence of the following circumstances should be attributed there.

In the volumes of the processed material that passed the installation zone of the third magnetic generator, the particles that are part of the clay feedstock are practically no longer contained. Individual particles of the latter are captured by enlarged granules of metal obtained there grown in the zone of influence of the third circuit. The small “grains” of aluminum compounds remaining after passing through this region indicated above are completely used up to form a kind of coating (“fur coats”) consisting of them on the outer surface of the latter.

Clad metal pellets ultimately leave this area. The accumulation formed there is transferred by the feeding screw 4 to other regions of the cavity of the housing 3 located at a distance from it, moving farther and farther towards the rear end of the latter (the third circuit 5, like the second, falls into the zone of the conditional rupture of the device’s case and is not shown in the drawing shown) sequentially passing along this path in all its sections. Obtained earlier, this indicated accumulation of metal granules ultimately ends up in zone “D”, falling under the influence of magnetic flux generated by the last of the number of generators used in the device ie the fourth magnetic circuit 5. It should also be noted that in the process of passing through the above region, also located directly on the path of movement of the used raw material, in the entire accumulations of the product processed in the device obtained at the previous “finishing” stages, the whole complex of necessary structural transformations.

At the same time, the metal granules entering as individual components of the above-mentioned accumulations acquire a degree of purity, determined by the percentage of aluminum in them, which allows attributing this product to the group “having reached the required condition”. Upon completion of the complex of necessary transformations of the feedstock, performed in the zone of influence of the above magnetic flux obtained using the fourth magnetic generator, adhering to the surface of the granules passing through it and creating a kind of non-metallic coating on the latter, small clay particles are transformed into new layers enveloping them consisting of the same aluminum.

Due to the presence of all of the above circumstances, the process of enlargement of crystalline “nuclei” located in this region proceeds, which additionally increase their originally obtained overall dimensions.

In addition, the same effect will occur when small crystalline “nuclei” of aluminum are “stuck” together in the same zone, and when these are interconnected, rather large pieces of metal are formed.

Thus, at this final stage of processing, the entire initial raw material mass is completely processed, and the granules of metal 10 obtained in the installation area of the last fourth magnetic circuit 5 are transported from it by the screw 4 continuing to rotate around its own longitudinal axis, freeing this zone from its the presence and ending up in the rear end of the housing 3 of the device used. Having reached this indicated part of it, which occupies a horizontal level lower than that used to accommodate the upper end of the housing 3, granules 10, as well as lamellar slags formed together with them, run into an exit opening located directly on the path of their movement "G" (see figure 1). By virtue of all this, all of the above products fall into the last, and ultimately fall to the bottom of the storage hopper 9. As the cavity is filled with the above-mentioned final processed products, the shutter 13 is opened, which ensures their removal with the latter being poured into the one used for this technological container (not shown in the drawing). If it is necessary to preserve the degree of purity of the metal obtained by processing, both the accumulation of its granules and their subsequent transportation can be carried out under a layer of a protective atmosphere consisting of inert gas - argon (not shown in the drawing).

The decrease in the volume of the initial raw material 2 as it is consumed is compensated by the supply of new portions of the latter from the cavity of the loading hopper 1, which communicates with the internal cavity of the housing 3 through the input opening "B" (see figure 1). Their arrival in the indicated part of the device body from the cavity of the hopper 1, i.e. in its front end, carried by gravity.

As the flow rate of the feedstock 2 placed in the feed hopper is consumed, the latter is loaded into the latter. Because of this, the process of processing raw materials into metal is carried out in the proposed device without any stops and interruptions.

Since during the recovery of metals from its compounds in the zone of its flow, volumes of gases previously absent there are formed, forming so-called gas "bubbles" in the cavity of the housing 3, and consequently, the magnitude of the excess pressure created there increases, to eliminate the possible negative impact of these factors, a periodic release of these volatile compounds accumulated in the body cavity to the outside atmosphere is performed.

Removal of the latter, as well as excess volumes of compressed air supplied to the housing 3, is carried out using the nozzles 7 installed directly on its front and rear parts, which are directly connected to its cavity. Opening of the latter is carried out by pressure valves 8 at times when the amount of excess pressure in the cavity case 3 exceeds that specified by the processing technology. The adjustment of the moment of operation of the locking elements in the valves 8 is made taking into account this set value of the excess pressure (see figure 1).

In this way, the unimpeded movement of the processed raw material mass 2 along the entire cavity of the housing 3 is ensured without any stops there because of a local increase in the excess pressure in its individual sections.

The external electric power supply units of the magnetic circuits 5 used in the device are additionally equipped with electronic control circuits with which the necessary changes are made to the frequency of the alternating electric current supplied to the windings — coils 15, its magnitude and voltage (not shown in the drawing). Due to this, it is possible to obtain in the processing zone of magnetic fields with predetermined values of their intensity, as well as their frequency. The minimum possible number of magnetic circuits servicing the device corresponds to two, however, in this case, it is necessary to use a low-speed drive to rotate the feed screw, which creates additional difficulties in the process of its operation and maintenance.

The maximum possible number of the latter can be six. A further increase in their number above the specified value leads to the fact that all other additional magnetic generators will work almost “idle”.

In addition, the use of magnetic circuits in such an amount again complicates the device used for processing raw materials, and adversely affects its performance.

As the most optimal option in the proposed device design, a magnetic system was used that included four circuits. The presence of a positive influence of this circumstance and ensured a sufficiently high efficiency of the above technology for processing raw materials due to the use of this particular version of such a design of the proposed device. Achieved in the process of use to achieve the above goals of this type of the proposed device design, technical and economic indicators characterizing the degree of effectiveness of the processing performed with its help, allowed to determine the following:

With a device length of 1.5 meters and its width, taking into account the dimensions of the systems serving it, 1.2 m, as well as with the width and height of its body 0.2 * 0.2 m, and when operating it using the three-shift mode, it is ensured obtaining one ton of aluminum metal. The degree of purity of the metal production was 99.99992%. The sizes of aluminum granules formed with it had a value of 60-70% with dimensions from 6 to 10 mm and 30-40% with dimensions of 40-60 mm. Electricity consumption per ton of metal obtained is 2.0-2.5 thousand kW / h

Clay multicomponent rock, delivered to the processing site from the nearest quarry located near the installation, in which it was developed to meet the corresponding needs of the construction industry, was used as the initial ore-containing aluminum compound.

To separate the final products collected in the cavity of the storage hopper - i.e. granules of aluminum metal and lamellar slags dumped into it, the mass of the latter extracted from the hopper was passed through a system consisting of a set of ordinary calibrated sieves.

Since the above components have significant differences in overall dimensions, after passing these products accumulated in the bunker 9 through the above calibration system, they are easily divided into fractions that make up the total bulk mass - aluminum metal granules, and synthesized during processing from the initial raw materials impurities slag waste.

To supply air to the dispensing nozzles 6, an external supply line is used (not shown in the drawing), compressed air under excessive pressure into which is supplied using a conventional compressor. The above compressor may be of any design.

To carry out repairs or necessary maintenance of the installation operating in the “continuous” mode, the time moment is chosen when the loading hopper, as well as the entire volume of the cavity of the housing 3, will be freed from the raw material passing through them, i.e. the latter must be worked out to zero. After that, all service devices of the system are disconnected - i.e. all windings - coils 15 that are part of the magnetic circuit 5 are disconnected from the power source, and they also stop the rotation drive of the feed screw 4 and shut off the external supply pipe to the nozzles 6.

After performing all of the above steps, the device can be used to perform the necessary complex of work on it, providing the possibility of its further operation.

Re-launch it in the work as follows. First of all, the loading hopper 1 is filled with the necessary volume of processed raw materials 2, then, in the above order, all systems serving the device are turned on, and after that the process of processing the raw materials 2 into metal proceeds in accordance with the scheme for its implementation already indicated (i.e. again used the so-called "continuous cycle").

Given all of the above, we can come to the following conclusion. Using the proposed method for producing metallic aluminum as well as the device used for its implementation provides a significant reduction in the cost of electric energy required for processing the feedstock into the final product. That is, the application of the proposed technical solutions creates the conditions for reducing its consumption by 8-15 times in relation to the amount necessary when performing the process of electrolysis of melts from aluminum compounds with the addition of fluoride salts.

In addition, in the case of the processing of clay-containing raw materials using the proposed method, the use of substances and materials, the ingress of which into the atmosphere (fluorine gas), completely eliminates the need for environmental pollution of this production and harm human health.

It should be further noted that, in contrast to the currently known methods, for this kind of technology for the production of metal carried out using the proposed method, ores containing any possible forms of nature can be used as suitable raw materials for use in its implementation. aluminum compounds, in its original "raw" form.

The process of processing raw materials into aluminum in which the proposed method will be used can be performed continuously without the need for any additional technological stops. The metal obtained from clay rock widely used in the natural environment by the proposed method has a high degree of purity, the value of which relative to the aluminum content in it corresponds to a value of 99.99992%, i.e. it is “chemically pure”.

Thus, it can be argued that the use of the proposed processing method, as well as the device implementing it, proceeding from the foregoing, will make it possible to use a wide range of clay rocks containing aluminum oxide that have never been considered as suitable for achieve this raw material goal.

The introduction of the proposed process, as well as the device used during its implementation, into production does not require attracting significant investment, and is not associated with the need to use significant labor costs, as well as long periods of time necessary for the preparation of production.

The selection of materials and components included in the proposed device was made taking into account the possibility of using them as similar, widespread and used in equipment designed to implement technologies similar to the proposed one.

Those. used in the processing of raw materials in accordance with the proposed method, the device, taking into account the above features of its design, will be distinguished by ease of manufacture, and, therefore, possess a high degree of reliability during its operation.

Claims (7)

1. A method of producing aluminum metal, comprising loading an aluminum-containing clay into the cavity of the device for producing aluminum, its recovery in the said cavity when exposed to a generated magnetic field in the treatment zone, precipitation and unloading of the obtained aluminum, characterized in that the aluminum-containing clay is ground into particles with dimensions of 0.001 -1.0 mm, mixed with water in an amount of 30-40% of the total mass of ground clay to obtain an aqueous suspension, which is loaded into the cavity, is blown through the zone about rabotki compressed air, reduction is carried out with carbon, forming part of the gases present in the jets of air blown through said treatment zone, when subjected to a water slurry alternating rotating magnetic field intensity in the processing zones 4 × 10 ⁴ -1 × 10 ⁶ A / m, at a frequency of 40-70 Hz by moving the aqueous suspension through the processing zones mentioned in series in the device’s body, the number of which is from 2 to 6, moreover, the said treatment zones of the aqueous suspension using t as coupling elements for closing the magnetic flux generated when exposed to a water suspension, and loading and unloading of a water slurry of the finished aluminum performed without stopping the apparatus for producing aluminum. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the thickness of the aqueous suspension serves a stream of compressed air under an excess pressure of 0.1 ÷ 0.6 kgf / cm ² . 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the movement of the aqueous suspension inside the cavity of the housing is carried out using a rotating screw with continuous mechanical stirring. 4. A device for producing metallic aluminum, comprising a housing for placement of a processed aluminum-containing clay in its cavity, working elements for creating a magnetic field connected to an external source of electric power, a solenoid placed on the working element, and means for loading said clay and unloading the obtained aluminum characterized in that it is equipped with a screw located in the inner cavity of the said body, rotating around its axis to move the treated water suspension from al humus-containing clay and water from the front end of the casing to its rear end, the auger drive to provide angular movements of the auger at a given speed and nozzles for supplying compressed air, and in the front end of the casing there is a hole in communication with the cavity of the loading hopper located above it for supplying the said suspension and at its rear end there is a hatch for unloading of the aluminum obtained from it into a drive installed under the hatch, the working elements are made in the form of magnetically conductive plates joined together feeding material mounted in a closed rectangular circuit in an amount of from 2 to 6, the solenoids are made in the form of three electrical winding coils placed in the body of the working elements that make up each closed rectangular contour, each electrical coil is connected to the corresponding phase of an external three-phase source of electrical power supply, while in each circuit in one of the working elements a through groove is made covering the housing mentioned therein, and the circuits are sequentially installed s equally spaced. 5. The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the housing is mounted with an inclination of its longitudinal axis of symmetry to the horizon at an inclination angle of 10-20 °, while its front end is raised and the rear end is lowered. 6. The device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the nozzle for supplying compressed air is placed on the outer surface of the housing in the form of evenly spaced one from another rows with an inclination with respect to the latter. 7. The device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that hollow pipes with pressure reducing valves installed through its walls are mounted on the housing, installed in its front and rear ends and communicated with the housing cavity to remove excess volumes of supplied compressed air.

Images