Alcan International Limited

Stephane Rompre

Ghyslain Dube

Serge Eugene Lavoie

Claude Dupuis

Gilles R Turcotte

Joseph Langlais

Sylvain Trottier

A process of producing granules of a reactive metal. The process comprises providing a source of molten reactive metal (,), forming discrete droplets (,) of the molten metal, contacting the droplets while still substantially molten with a fluidized bed of particles (,) maintained at a temperature substantially below the solidus temperature of the metal and freezing the droplets as discrete granules of the reactive metal in the fluidized bed. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the method and product produces by the method, including a magnesium-containing additive for aluminum alloying. The use of a fluidized bed for cooling and freezing the droplets avoids problems encountered in prior methods and also makes it possible to provide coatings of various kinds on the surfaces of the granules, if desired.

Production of granules of reactive metals, for example magnesium and magnesium alloy

Production of granules of reactive metals, for example magnesium and

A process of producing granules of a reactive metal. The process comprises providing a source of molten reactive metal, forming discrete droplets of the molten metal, contacting the droplets while still substantially molten with a fluidized bed of particles maintained at a temperature substantially below the solidus temperature of the metal and freezing the droplets as discrete granules of the reactive metal in the fluidized bed. The invention also provides apparatus for carrying out the method and product produced by the method, including a magnesium-containing additive for aluminum alloying. The use of a fluidized bed for cooling and freezing the droplets avoids problems encountered in prior methods and also makes it possible to provide coatings of various kinds on the surfaces of the granules, if desired.

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Sillery, Canada

Stephane Rompre