Electrochemical process for zirconium alloy recycling

摘要

A major cost component for zirconium alloy manufacture and fabrication is metal scrap generation during fabrication. This scrap, which has already incurred the entire process conversion cost from zircon sand to metal refining, constitutes an expensive cost to the fabrication process. The present invention teaches that these alloy scraps may be separated into their components by molten salt electrolysis using FLINAK electrolyte. The alloy components are recycled directly to the alloying process as cathodic grade metals, saving the cost of completely repeating the zircon conversion process.