METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING HIGH PURITY ZIRCONIUM

摘要

PURPOSE:To efficiently produce high purity metallic zirconium by charging zirconium tetrachloride which is a raw material in a gaseous state into a reducing reactor. CONSTITUTION:The zirconium tetrachloride in a hopper 70 is charged by a conveyor 71 into a still 10 contg. the fused salt of the b.p. much higher than the sublimation temp. of the zirconium tetrachloride. The generated vapor of the zirconium tetrachloride is intermittently or periodically introduced via a piping 16 into the reducing reactor 30 in which magnesium metal is charged. The zirconium tetrachloride reacts directly with the magnesium to generate the zirconium sponge and magnesium chloride melt. The magnesium chloride melt is intermittently discharged by a piping 31 and the discharge is continued until the reaction rate of the zirconium tetrachloride and the magnesium decreases. The zirconium sponge is introduced via a piping 50 into a condenser 50 and is cooled.