RECOVERY OF PURIFIED VOLATILE METAL SUCH AS LITHIUM FROM MIXED METAL VAPOURS

摘要

The present invention is concerned with a method for extracting selectively a metal from a metal mixture in the gaseous phase. The method comprises heating the metal mixture to vaporize the metal; condensing the metal contaminants present in the vapour; reacting any contaminants remaining in the vapour with a reagent to precipitate the remaining contaminants, and collecting the purified metal. In particula, the invention concerns the extraction of purified lithium from magnesium-containing metal mixtures or from metal mixtures comprising spodumene.