Aluminum Company of America

LeRoy E Dastolfo, Jr

Gary P Tarcy

Alfred F LaCamera

Vito Cedro, Iii

John E Mrozinski

William P Wehrle

Mark E Davis

A low temperature salt bath for the electrolysis of metal oxides to produce the corresponding metal. The bath comprises a first salt, comprised of at least one fluoride salt, and a second salt, comprised of at least one chloride salt. The fluoride salt increases the metal oxide solubility in the molten salt bath, and the chloride salt reduces the bath liquidus temperature of the salt bath. The preferred process of practicing the invention includes using an anode consisting essentially of carbonaceous material and having an effective surface area about equal to the projected surface area of the anode.

Process for low temperature electrolysis of metals in a chloride salt

A substantially nitrate-free solution for milling products of refractory metals, especially titanium, which milling solution comprises: (a) about 20-100 g/l hydrofluoric acid; (b) a hydrogen inhibitor selected from the group comprising of: about 55-650 g/l of sodium chlorate, about 180-650 g/l of ammonium peroxysulfate, and at least about 10 g/l of hydrogen peroxide; and (c) a balance of water and impurities. A method for chemically milling, etching and/or pickling metal products, such as titanium alloy forgings, with the aforementioned solution is also disclosed.

Milling solution and method

A substantially nitrate-free solution for milling products of refractory metals, especially titanium, which solution contains: (a) about 5-100 g/l of ammonium bifluoride; (b) up to about 90 g/1 of hydrochloric acid; (c) a hydrogen inhibitor which may be either sodium chlorate or ammonium peroxysulfate; and (d) a balance of water and impurities. There is further disclosed a method for chemically milling, etching and/or pickling metal products, such as titanium alloy forgings, with the aforementioned solution.

A substantially nitrate-free solution for milling products of refractory metals, especially titanium, which solution comprises: (a) about 5-100 g/l of ammonium bifluoride; (b) up to about 90 g/l of hydrochloric acid; and (c) a balance of water and impurities. Preferred embodiments of this aqueous solution consist essentially of about 15-75 g/l of NH.sub.4 HF.sub.2 and about 8-70 g/l of HCl. An alternative embodiment includes up to about 170 g/l of H.sub.2 O.sub.2. There is further disclosed a method for chemically milling, etching and/or pickling metal products, such as titanium alloy forgings, with the aforementioned solutions.

A method for regulating the temperature at which two or more substances combine to form end product in the reactor, at least one of said substances produced from two or more reactants in the reactor, said method comprising: combining at least some of the reactants in a vessel thermally isolated from the reactor to produce substance in the vessel; and transferring substance from said vessel to the reactor. The invention constitutes an improved method for producing magnesium chloride by heating magnesium carbonate in packed bed reactor; passing carbon monoxide and chlorine gas through the packed bed; and withdrawing carbon dioxide from above the packed bed and molten magnesium chloride from below said bed. This improvement consists essentially of reacting at least some carbon monoxide and chlorine in a continuously-cooled vessel to form phosgene; and substituting a sufficient amount of phosgene from the vessel for the carbon monoxide and chlorine gas otherwise passed through said packed bed.

Growing community of inventors

Lower Burrell, PA, United States of America

LeRoy E Dastolfo, Jr