Process and apparatus for producing zirconium metal by reducing zirconium tetrachloride

摘要

The invention concerns a process for the production of metal Zr by means of molten Mg in a reactor (1) having a hearth plate (3), comprising separating the magnesium chloride formed in the reduction reaction from the metal Zr formed and the magnesium, then cooling, then extracting the sponge cake of metal Zr formed. The process is characterized by separating the magnesium chloride formed by tapping off towards the bottom of the reactor (1) by means of a chimney (6) whose bottom end portion (5) is fixed to an orifice (4) in the hearth plate (3) and whose transverse open top end (7) is above the portion of the metallic mass (Zr, Mg) which borders the chimney (6) at the end of the reduction reaction. The invention also concerns the corresponding apparatus for the production of metal zirconium. The invention provides a simplification in the operation of separating the MgCl2 formed and possibly, by virtue of a particular structure of the chimney according to the invention, gives an improvement in the operation of extracting the sponge cake produced.