Compagnie Europeenne Du Zirconium Cezus

Ugine Aciers

Compagnie Europeene Du Zirconium Cezus

Compagnie Europenne Du Zirconium Cezus

Pierre Brun

Airy-Pierre Lamaze

Jean Boutin

Jean G Guerin

Antoine Floreancig

Patrick Paillere

Yves Bertaud

Roger Durand

Paul Besson

Michel Bakes

Roland Tricot

Pascale Salles

A method of obtaining uranium metal from an oxidized uranium compound, characterized in that the oxidized compound is treated with chlorine and carbon at a first stage, to obtain a chloride which is reduced by electrolysis or metallothermy using a reducing metal at a second stage.

Method of obtaining uranium from oxide using a chloride process

A method of, and an apparatus for, introducing at least one halide into the bath of cell for dry electrolysis. The method confines a portion of the bath in an annular space and upward motion is imparted to the confined portion of the bath by introduction of a gas and halide into the annular space. The apparatus for carrying out the method consists of two concentric tubes: an inner tube through which the halide and the gas are introduced and which tube is open at its bottom end and which tube has orifices on its lateral wall; and an outer tube which is open at its bottom end, closed at the top end and provided on its lateral wall with apertures situated at a level higher than that of the orifices. The method and apparatus can be applied to the operation and construction of electrolysis baths in which the concentration by weight of the halide and its mean valency must be maintained within a narrow range and be able to be adjusted progressively and precisely.

Method of and an apparatus for introducing at least one halide in the

A diaphragm is disclosed for molten salt bath electrolysis of metal halides, the diaphragm comprising carbon fibers disposed in one plane an in at least one direction, embedded at least partially in a rigid and inert material which can be graphite, carbides, oxides or nitrides. The diaphragm has a porosity between 10% and 60% in the form of apertures of an area between 1 and 50 mm.sup.2.

Diaphragm for molten bath salt electrolysis of metal halides

The invention relates to a process and apparatus for the pumping and metering of liquid products, wherein the melting point is between 200.degree. and 350.degree. C. In the process, a pulsation generator with piston and diaphragm displaces a thermal fluid which actuates a pumping apparatus, and the fluid transmits its pulsations to a molten tin alloy or tin bath contained in a siphon, the bath in turn transmitting the pulsations to part of the liquid product to be displaced and which is contained in a conduit connecting the siphon to a diaphragm-free pumping head, between the suction valve and delivery valve of the said pumping head, which makes the latter operate in suction and delivery with respect to the same product between suction pipe and delivery pipe. The process and apparatus are particularly applicable to the pumping of melted salts with a melting point between 200.degree. and 350.degree. C. at temperatures between 210.degree. and 380.degree. C.

Process and apparatus for pumping and metering a liquid product with a

The invention relates to a process and apparatus for the supply of a Kroll reactor with zirconium tetrachloride vapor, in which zirconium chloride powder is vaporized in a sublimator by heating power and the vapor obtained is passed into the reactor. Part of the heating power applied in the sublimator is supplied to the powder by an internal heating means, and the remainder of the heating power is supplied to the wall of the sublimator by an external heating means. The heating power of the internal heating means is used for the sublimation of the zirconium tetrachloride powder and the heating power of the external means is applied in order to compensate the heat losses of the wall of the sublimator. The apparatus for application of the method includes a means for measuring the wall temperature of the sublimator and a regulator sensitive to the variation of this temperature with respect to a nominal temperature and which is capable of modifying the power applied to the external and internal heating means, with the total power remaining constant for a fixed vapor flow rate.

Process and apparatus for supplying a kroll reactor with zirconium

The process and the device according to the invention relate to the introduction, at a stable, known flow rate, of sublimable tetrachloride into a column for continuous extractive distillation under pressure of the chlorides. The sublimable tetrachloride is dissolved in a hot dissolver in a liquid solvent such as KAlCl.sub.4, and is then recirculated by pump at a stable, known flow rate into an evaporator connected to the column. The solution is then heated in an evaporator in order to sublime the majority of the product which it contains, the sublimed vapors thus passing into the column at a stable, known flow rate. The process according to the invention is adapted, in particular, to a plant for the production of ArCl.sub.4 of nulear purity and of HfCl.sub.4.

Process for introducing zirconium tetrachloride, hafnium tetrachloride

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. 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 MgCl.sub.2 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.

Apparatus for producing metal zirconium by the reduction of zirconium

The invention concerns a process and an apparatus for maintaining a very thin film in an exchanger involving a flowing liquid film. The process wherein the liquid films are fed by gravity from a liquid source is characterised in that: each film is fed at the permanent flow (kd.sub.1) corresponding to the feed flow rate (d.sub.1) of the source; then for a short period of time the flow rate is increased to a transient value (kd.sub.2) for establishing a continuous film over the whole of the corresponding flow surface; then operation returns to the flow rate (kd.sub.1) for the film in question, the short periods of feeding the different films at their transient flow rates (kd.sub.2) being displaced in respect of time. The apparatus according to the invention comprises at the top of each flow tube a movable sleeve, lifting movement or rotary movement of which opens a supplementary communication between the liquid source and the tube, permitting the film flow rate to assume the transient value (kd.sub.2). The process is applied in particular to the process for separation of tetrachlorides of Zr and Hf.

Process and devices for operation of an apparatus which functions by

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 MgCl.sub.2 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.

Process and apparatus for producing metal zirconium by the reduction of

The invention relates to a process for the separation of zirconium, and hafnium tetrachlorides from mixtures thereof. The process according to the invention consists of selectively absorbing zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride vapors in a solvent medium circulating counter-current to these vapors in a distillation column, wherein the solvent consists of a molten chloroaluminate and/or chloroferrate of potassium. The process described may be used to obtain hafnium-free zirconium tetrachloride which may then be used to prepare nuclear-grade zirconium, and hafnium tetrachloride containing little zirconium.

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Grenoble, France

Pierre Brun