Method for producing metal compounds

Abstract

Abstract 1. A METHOD FOR PRODUCING A PARTICULATE METAL OXIDE COMPRISING THE STEPS OF PROVIDING AN INDUCTION-COUPLED PLASMA TORCH, INTRODUCING A PLASMA GAS INTO SAID TORCH, SAID PLASMA GAS CONTAINING UP TO 100 PERCENT OF OXYGEN ON A FREEELEMENT BASIS, THE BALANCE OF SAID PLASMA GAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INERT WITH RESPECT TO SAID METAL, INITIATING A PLASMA STREAM, INTRODUCING IN PARTICULATE FORM INTO SAID PLASMA STREAM AT LEAST ONE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHROMIUM, LEAD, MAGNESIUM, NIOBIUM, SILICON, TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, ALUMINUM, AND IRON, SAID PLASMA STREAM HAVING AN ENTHALPY SUFFICIENT TO VAPORIZE SAID METAL, ENVELOPING SAID PLASMA STREAM WITH A GAS CONTAINING UP TO 100 PERCENT OF OXYGEN ON A FREE-ELEMENT BASIS, THE BALANCE OF THE ENVELOPING GAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INERT WITH RESPECT TO SAID METAL AND THE PLASMA GAS, VAPORIZING THE METAL PARTICLES, REACTING THE METAL VAPORS WITH SAID OXYGEN, THE AMOUNT OF OXYGEN PRESENT BEING AT LEAST SUFFICIENT FOR STOICHIOMETRIC REACTION WITH SAID METAL, QUENCHING THE RESULTING METAL OXIDE IN A STREAM OF GAS CONTAINING UP TO 100 PERCENT OF OXYGEN ON A FREEELEMENT BASIS, THE BALANCE OF SAID QUENCHING STREAM OF GAS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY INERT WITH RESPECT TO SAID RESULTING METAL OXIDE AND SAID PLASMA GAS, SAID RESULTING METAL OXIDE BEING IN FINELY DIVIDED FORM AND BEING SUBSTANTIALLY FREE OF ANY ANIONIC IMPURITY, SEPARATING PARTICLES OF SAID FINELY DIVIDED METAL OXIDE UP TO ABOUT 0.5 UM. IN SIZE FROM SAID QUENCHING STREAM, AND COLLECTING SAID SEPARATED PARTICLES OF SAID METAL OXIDE.

Inventors

• 👤 D Rice

Bibliographic Details