| 摘要 |
<p>The present invention relates to a process for obtaining metals from oxides using shuttle alloys, particularly titanium metal from titanium dioxide in the form of illmenite rutile. The process can be adapted to obtain elemental metal or alloys of metals such as zirconium, chronium, molybdenum, tungsten, tantalum, lithium, cobalt and zinc. The process of the present invention comprises two stages, a first stage in which a metal oxide is reduced in the presence of primary shuttle material, which forms a shuttle alloy with the reduced metals, and a second stage wherein the reduced metal is separated from the shuttle alloy as a metal or alloy. Typically the primary shuttle material comprises bismuth or antimony or a mixture of the two and optionally lead. The reduction reaction may be carried out by chemical means or electrochemical means or by a combination of the two. The process permits the two stages to be linked and the process run continuously such that energy recovered from the second stage may be transferred to the first stage and used to drive the reduction of the metal oxide or other reactions, such as the decarbonization of calcium carbonate used as a melting agent. The addition of material such as silica to the process, may facilitate recovery of by-products such as aluminous cements.</p> |
