Aluminum Company of America

Larry K King

Lester L Knapp

Ronald C Schoener

Nicholas Kloap

Stanley C Jacobs

John A Remper

Roy E Hardwick

James R Fields

Noel Jarrett

Elmer H Rogers, Jr

Marlyn D Ballain

Robert L Hargis

Bernard J Racunas

Marshall J Bruno

Allen S Russell

Bernard M Starner

Separating volatile impurities from AlCl.sub.3 by supplying impure AlCl.sub.3 into a molten salt bath of a gas separation compartment in an electrolysis cell. The impurities are removed from the compartment and molten salt bath containing dissolved AlCl.sub.3 is carried under a partition into a chamber where the AlCl.sub.3 is electrolyzed. In a preferred embodiment, desublimation is avoided by supplying AlCl.sub.3 to the bath as a gas rather than in solid form.

Separation of volatile impurities from aluminum chloride before

Method for directly desubliming gaseous aluminum chloride to solid form in a fluidized bed of solid particles of aluminum chloride at controlled temperatures for production of selectively constituted solid particulate aluminum chloride.

Process for recovery of aluminum chloride

An electrical resistance heater for high temperature chlorination of alumina bearing material by gaseous chlorine within a reaction chamber. The heater comprises two, closely spaced, side-by-side, elongated posts made of a carbonaceous material electrically connected together adjacent one of their ends. Two metal bars extend respectively into the other ends of the posts for directing electrical current through the posts. Means are provided for directing an inert gas along the external surfaces of the posts that tend to be cooler than the portions of the posts located to provide the high temperature.

Reactor heater

Recovery of high purity aluminum chloride is achieved by use of a series of condensers wherein the first condenser is operated at a high temperature of 80.degree.-110.degree. C to insure minimum condensation of other metal chlorides such as titanium chloride, silicon chloride, or the like, while a second condenser operates at a much lower temperature of from 20.degree.-50.degree. C to trap all impurities while reducing the chloride losses to a minimum. The product of the first condenser may then be used as a feed for the electrolytic reduction of aluminum chloride to metallic aluminum.

Method of producing high purity aluminum chloride

In the production of aluminum chloride suitable for subsequent electrolytic reduction to metallic aluminum control of both the purity and the particle size is achieved by control of the entrance velocity of the aluminum chloride vapors in a fluidized bed, control of the fluidized bed temperature, and selective removal of the condensed particles from the bottom of the fluidized bed.

Control of purity and particle size in production of aluminum chloride

Hot vapors of aluminum chloride and by-products produced in the chlorination of aluminous material to form aluminum chloride are cooled by contacting the vapors with solid aluminum chloride as the vapors exit from the reactor and before the vapors come in contact with filter materials. This cooling reduces the temperature of the vapors from an initial temperature of about 600.degree.-800.degree. C down to about 300.degree.-350.degree. C thereby preventing or inhibiting attack of the filter materials by the hot vapors.

Cooling aluminum chloride vapors by contact with solid aluminum chloride

An improved process for the production of aluminum chloride from coked alumina and chlorine comprises providing a bed of coked alumina in a reaction vessel and introducing gaseous chlorine thereto in an amount sufficient to fluidize the bed, at least a portion of the vessel having a nitride-based refractory lining especially adjacent and bounding the lower part of the fluidized bed. Aluminum chloride formed is recovered as a gaseous effluent emmanating from the bed.

Production of aluminum chloride

Method and apparatus for directly desubliming gaseous aluminum chloride to solid form in a fluidized bed of solid particles of aluminum chloride at controlled temperatures for production of selectively constituted solid particulate aluminum chloride.

Solid particulate lobular AlCl.sub.3

Use of a temperature-controlled heat-exchanger comprising fluidized particles to remove hydrocarbons from gas contaminated therewith and prevent hydrocarbon pollution of the atmosphere.

Anti-pollution method

Recovery of selectively constituted high purity aluminum chloride from the gaseous effluent of the chlorination of sodium contaminated alumina including the steps of purifying such gaseous effluent to provide essentially contaminant-free aluminum chloride in gaseous form in a gaseous carrier through selectively cooling the hot gaseous effluent to a temperature range well below the chlorination temperature but above the ambient condition condensation temperature of aluminum chloride yet sufficient to condense a selective portion of the condensable constituents therein including substantially all of the sodium aluminum chloride values therein, intermediate the steps of passing such gaseous effluent through filtration media to effect the separation of the condensed sodium aluminum chloride values and entrained solid and liquid particles therefrom and condensing high purity aluminum chloride values from the purified residual gaseous effluent to selectively constituted solid form at controlled temperatures.

Recovery of solid selectively constituted high purity aluminum chloride

Fluidized bed desubliming apparatus for directly desubliming gaseous aluminum chloride to solid form in a fluidized bed of solid particles of aluminum chloride in a chamber at controlled temperatures for production of selectively constituted solid particulate aluminum chloride, for example including cooling means within the bed for maintaining such controlled temperatures, means for introducing such gaseous aluminum chloride into the bed remote from all contact surfaces within the chamber which are below the ambient desublimation temperature, gas distribution inlet means, residual gaseous effluent outlet means and means for withdrawing aluminum chloride particles from the bed.

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Maryville, TN, United States of America

Larry K King