Process for the separation of the component parts of alloys or mixtures of metals

摘要

508,925. Extracting metals from mixtures and alloys. KEMP, P. Oct. 12, 1938, No. 29593. Convention date, Oct. 25, 1937. [Class 82 (i)] In a process of separating the constituents of metallic mixtures and alloys by liquation, the liquid portion is separated from the solid residue by forcing the mass under a pressure of at least 500 atmospheres against a member pervious to the liquid portion. The pressure may be obtained by means of a compressed gas or a mechanical press. In the press shown, the melted. alloy is placed in the receiver 1, which may be heated by a burner 6, and after cooling to liquation temperature is forced by the piston 4 through a perforated member 2 into a container 5. Alternatively, the alloy may be introduced in the solid state, or allowed to solidify in the receiver, in which it is subsequently heated to liquation temperature. In some cases, especially when the alloy contains only a small proportion of the component which is solid during liquation, a preliminary separation by known liquation methods may be employed, the residue being then further separated by the present method under high pressure. Fractional separation of an alloy of several metals may be carried out by subjecting the liquid component of a first separation to a further separation at a lower temperature, or the solid component to one at a higher temperature. The separation may be facilitated by the addition of a metal or alloy which combines with certain of the alloy constituents to form a liquation component. For example, silver may be extracted from lead by adding zinc, and antimony from lead or tin alloys by adding aluminium. The process may be applied to the production of white or speculum metal from tin alloys containing lead and copper ; the extraction of tin and lead from zinc alloys ; the separation of lead alloys into type metal and a residue of high antimony content; and the extraction of tin and antimony from scrap lead. Examples are given of the treatment of alloys containing tin, antimony, copper and lead, and of tin, antimony and lead.