METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF A MELT

摘要

A method and apparatus for adding a metal, for example sodium, to a melt of a material, for example aluminium, in a vessel, in which a molten compound of the metal or a solution of a compound of the metal is provided in a containe r (12), the container being positioned outside the vessel, the compound is electrolytically decomposed and ions of the metal are caused to pass through a wall of a solid-state electrolyte (14) which is a conductor therefor, from a first side of the wall to an opposite second side thereof, and to combine wi th electrons at the second side of the wall and then to flow as molten metal fr om the container into the melt in the vessel.