METAL DISTILLATION METHOD AND APPARATUS UTILIZING DOUBLE VAPORIZATION

摘要

A method for separating a certain metal from a raw material including a mixture of the metal and an element which has a lower vapor pressure than the metal. The raw material including the mixture of the metal and the element is heated so as to cause a first vapor including the metal to be evolved. This first vapor is passed through a throttling means in which it undergoes adiabatic expansion and is rapidly cooled so that at least part of it is reduced to a liquid containing the metal. This liquid is reheated so as to cause a second vapor including the metal to be evolved. And the second vapor is cooled to collect the metal. An apparatus is also disclosed for performing this method.