Essentially anhydrous admixtures of dehydrated rare earth halides and alkali/alkaline earth metal halides

摘要

Essentially anhydrous (i.e., containing no more than 2.5% by weight of water of hydration) admixtures of (i) dehydrated rare earth halides, (ii) at least 10% by weight of alkali and/or alkaline earth metal halides, and (iii) up to 4.5% by weight of rare earth oxyhalides, these halides being other than fluorides, are produced by mixing hydrated rare earth halides with alkali and/or alkaline earth metal halides and then raising the temperature of such admixtures, advantageously in the presence of a gaseous flux containing a dehydrating halocompound, to a value ranging from 150 to 350 C. as to essentially dehydrate the hydrated rare earth halides, the final admixtures are well adapted for the production of rare earth metals therefrom.