The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation Limited

The Boc Group, Inc.

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Soc) Ltd.

Johannes Petrus Le Roux

Johannes Theodorus Nel

Wilhelmina Du Plessis

Willem Liebenberg Retief

Mpho Diphago Stanley Lekgoathi

Donald P Satchell, Jr

Philippus Lodewyk Crouse

Willem Gabriel Augustyn

Johan Louis Havenga

Hendrik Faurie Niemand

Ryno Pretorius

Daniel Moolman

Mpho Diphago Lekgoathi

Willem Dempers Retief

A method of fluorinating a solid compound of a rare earth metal to produce a fluorinated rare earth metal compound in solid form includes reacting, in a reaction zone, a solid compound of the rare earth metal and gaseous hydrofluoric acid, thus producing the fluorinated rare earth metal compound in solid form. The reaction takes place, in the reaction zone, in the presence of exogenous water, which is water that is exogenous to water that is produced in the reaction zone as water of reaction due to the reaction of the solid compound of the rare earth metal and the hydrofluoric acid. Conditions of temperature and pressure in the reaction zone avoid condensation of the exogenous water, the water of reaction when present, and the hydrofluoric acid.

Preparation process for rare earth metal fluorides

A process for producing a hexafluorophosphate salt comprises neutralizing hexafluorophosphoric acid with an organic Lewis base, to obtain an organic hexafluorophosphate salt. The organic hexafluorophosphate salt is reacted with an alkali hydroxide selected from an alkali metal hydroxide (other than LiOH) and an alkaline earth metal hydroxide, in a non-aqueous suspension medium, to obtain an alkali hexafluorophosphate salt as a precipitate. A liquid phase comprising the non-aqueous suspension medium, any unreacted organic Lewis base and any water that has formed during the reaction to form the precipitate, is removed. Thereby, the alkali hexafluorophosphate salt is recovered.

Production of a hexafluorophosphate salt and of phosphorous pentafluoride

A process for treating a zirconium containing feedstock includes fluorinating a feedstock comprising dissociated zircon ('DZ') to obtain a zirconium fluorine compound and a silicon fluorine compound. The zirconium fluorine compound is separated from the silicon fluorine compound is provided. Optionally, the zirconium fluorine compound is reacted with a non-fluorine halogen, an alkali metal non-fluorine halide or an alkaline-earth metal non-fluorine halide, thereby to obtain a zirconium non-fluorine halide. The zirconium fluorine compound or, when present, the zirconium non-fluorine halide is subjected to plasma reduction, in a plasma reduction stage, in the presence of a reductant, to obtain metallic zirconium.

Treatment of chemical feedstocks

A process for treating a feedstock is provided. The feedstock comprises a mineral and/or a metal oxide/silicate derived from or associated with a mineral. The process comprises treating the feedstock by reacting, in a reaction step, the mineral and/or the metal oxide/silicate derived from or associated with a mineral, with an ammonium acid fluoride having the generic formula NHF.xHF, wherein 1&#x3c;x&#x2266;5. An ammonium fluorometallate compound is produced as a reaction product.

Treatment of minerals

Sample cell

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for producing nitrogen trifluoride. The method comprises contacting a fluorine-containing feed stream with liquid ammonium acid fluoride in a reaction zone for time and under conditions sufficient to produce nitrogen trifluoride. During the contacting step, the effective melt acidity value of the liquid ammonium acid fluoride is decreased and a reaction product stream is removed. In one embodiment, a gaseous mixture of elemental fluorine and hydrogen fluoride is contacted with a bulk liquid ammonium acid fluoride, such that the initial effective melt acidity value is greater than the melt acidity value of the bulk liquid ammonium acid fluoride in the reaction zone.

Method and apparatus for the production of nitrogen trifluoride

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Pretoria, South Africa

Johannes Petrus Le Roux