Method for manufacturing zirconium metal and hafnium metal

摘要

An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing metal zirconium, the method having a fewer steps and a smaller amount of secondary wastes generated, wherein the metal zirconium is obtained from a zirconium compound containing hafnium. A method of producing metal zirconium according to the present invention includes: a separation step of separating a hafnium oxychloride from a first substance containing a zirconium oxychloride and a hafnium oxychloride to obtain a second substance having a higher content of the zirconium oxychloride; a calcination step of calcining the second substance to obtain a third substance containing at least any of a zirconium oxychloride and a zirconium oxide; and a direct reduction step of holding the third substance in a molten salt with the third substance brought into contact with a cathode and applying a voltage between the cathode and an anode to directly reduce the third substance to obtain metal zirconium.

主权项

1. A method of producing zirconium metal and hafnium metal, comprising:
a separation step of separating a hafnium oxychloride from a first substance containing a zirconium oxychloride and a hafnium oxychloride to obtain a second substance having a higher content of the zirconium oxychloride; a calcination step of calcining the second substance in an inert gas atmosphere to remove a moisture content and to obtain a third substance containing at least one of a zirconium oxychloride or a zirconium oxide; a direct reduction step of holding the third substance in a molten salt with the third substance brought into contact with a cathode and applying a voltage between the cathode and an anode to directly reduce the third substance as it is to obtain zirconium metal; a calcination step of calcining a sixth substance under an inert gas atmosphere, the sixth substance being separated from the first substance in the separation step and having a higher content of the hafnium oxychloride to obtain a seventh substance containing at least one of a hafnium oxychloride or a hafnium oxide; and a direct reduction step of holding the seventh substance in a molten salt with the seventh substance brought into contact with a cathode and applying a voltage between the cathode and an anode to directly reduce the seventh substance as it is to obtain hafnium metal; wherein said method does not comprise carbothermal reduction of ZrO2 to ZrCl4.