Apparatus for simultaneously separating volatile and non-volatile metals

摘要

A method and apparatus for simultaneously separating volatile metals, including zinc and lead, and non-volatile metals, including copper, from mixtures of metallic and metallic oxide. Finely pulverized metal containing material, is continuously fed into the reactor chamber along with pulverized carbonaceous material, such as coke, and also oxygen or air. The reactor chamber is intensely heated by a transferred arc plasma generator to provide sufficient heat energy which together with the reducing gases cause a reducing reaction and melt the non-volatile copper and other metals which form a puddle upon the floor of the reaction chamber and to form a layer of slag covering the puddle, and simultaneously to vaporize the volatile zinc, lead and the like metals.