Toth Aluminum Corporation

Ronald Wyndham

John Christopher Terry

Alfred Lippman

Roger Frank Sebenik

Gervase M Chaplin

William M Swanson

Gervaise M Chaplin

A mixture of an aluminous ore and a carbon source is dried and calcined in the presence of a sulfur-containing compound. The mixture is then chlorinated to produce crude metal chlorides. Aluminum chloride is condensed and separated from the remaining metal chlorides, combined with sulfur and aluminum powder, and sublimated and desublimated so as to produce substantially pure aluminum chloride.

Process for manufacturing high purity metal chlorides

The purification of aluminum chloride, with the crude aluminum chloride normally being obtained through a process of carbo-chlorination of metallic ores, in particularly aluminum bearing ores, to make the metallic chlorides, in particular aluminum chloride. In the present invention, if the crude aluminum chloride does not contain traces of sulfur, the crude aluminum chloride is blended with elemental sulfur or an equivalent sulfur containing compound and simultaneously elemental aluminum powder or an equivalent aluminum containing compound in the solid state is added to the crude aluminum chloride. This blend is kept at 180.degree. C. at one atmosphere of pressure and is fed into a screw-type sublimer wherein the substantially pure aluminum chloride undergoes sublimation in the presence of elemental nitrogen as a purging agent and under constant agitation. The sublimed aluminum chloride is streamed into a reaction ground bed containing aluminum granules at approximately 250.degree. C. for removal of the traces of elemental sulfur therefrom. The then pure aluminum chloride, in the vapor state, is condensed for subsequent collection. If necessary, the aluminum chloride may be further purified through a rectification column and subsequent collection thereafter.

Purification of aluminum chloride

The invention comprises a process for the manufacture of metal chlorides by the double-decomposition reaction between a metal chlorinating agent and a metal oxide having greater affinity for chlorine than does the oxide of the metal chloride, and in the presence of small amounts of boron chloride or functionally equivalent boron compounds that increase the rate and degree of completion of the reaction. A major application of this invention is for the making by the chlorination of clay of aluminum chloride and alumina intermediates for the manufacture of aluminum metal. SiCl.sub.4 is formed in the carbo-chlorination of clay or other aluminous-siliceous ores. The SiCl.sub.4 by this invention is catalyzed with BCl.sub.3 and reacted with calcined clay to produce AlCl.sub.3 and SiO.sub.2. The practical use of SiCl.sub.4 to make AlCl.sub.3 thus eliminates the previous costly burden of waste SiCl.sub.4 production.

Chlorination of ores with catalyzed metal chlorides

The present invention provides a novel process for the preferential chlorination of alumina over silica in the carbo-chlorination of kaolinitic ores to produce aluminum chloride. The process comprises introducing small amounts of alkali metal compounds with oxyanions into the carbo-chlorination process. Preferred embodiments are directed to particular compounds of alkali metals with oxyanions selected from the group consisting of carbonates, sulfates, hydroxides, oxides, phosphates, and the like. The present invention results in significantly reduced energy, manufacturing, and equipment costs and thus represents a breakthrough in the utilization of domestic ores such as kaolinitic clay for the production of aluminum chloride or alumina through oxidation of the aluminum chloride.

Preferential chlorination of alumina in kaolinitic ores

A novel improvement in the process for the carbochlorination of kaolinitic ores is provided wherein the improvement comprises adding catalytic amounts of boron chloride to the carbo-chlorination step which results in the catalyzed and controlled chlorination of alumina and silica. Preferably, about 0.3 to 5.0 percent of boron chloride per volume of chlorine is added to the chlorination step and in combination with from 5 to 40 percent or more of reductant carbon to provide a conjoint action wherein preferential chlorination of alumina over silica is obtained at low levels of boron chloride and reductant and total chlorination of both alumina and silica are obtained at high boron chloride and reductant levels.

Controlled carbo-chlorination of kaolinitic ores

One of the major obstacles toward the needed and economic production of alumina and other values from kaolinitic clay and other ores by chlorination has been the slow reaction rates and low yields of the metal values. The present information provides methods for improving reaction rates and/or yields in the halogenation of various ores which comprises the addition of sulfur and/or functionally equivalent sulfur containing compounds as an ore conditioning agent and/or reaction promoter. These improvements also permit operation at low temperatures with advantage of savings of energy and of equipment and maintenance costs. The invention is applicable to both displacement halogenation and carbo-halogenation processes. The sulfur and/or functionally equivalent sulfur containing compounds can be added to the reaction mass during pre-halogenation steps or to the halogenation step or to combinations of steps ordinarily with additional benefits. The preferred embodiments are directed toward the carbochlorination of ores with illustrative examples given for clay, bauxite, ilmenite and aluminum phosphate; and for displacement chlorination of ores with illustrative examples given for hematite and ilmenite.

Clay halogenation process

The present invention provides a process for the catalytic reduction of aluminum chloride by manganese to form a high aluminum content alloy, separating the catalysis metal from the alloy, and separating the manganese in the alloy to produce essentially pure aluminum. As a preferred embodiment, liquid aluminum chloride is contacted with solid manganese metal in the presence of a Group IIB metal or compound thereof at a relatively low temperature and at a pressure to maintain the reactants in such phases.

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New Orleans, LA, United States of America

Ronald Wyndham