Voest-alpine Aktiengesellschaft

Walter Hans

Ernst Eichberger

Gerhard Lazar

Hans D Reiterer

The process for recovering metals of the 1.sup.st, 2.sup.nd, 4.sup.th, 5.sup.th, 6.sup.th, 7.sup.th and 8.sup.th sub-group of the periodic law from solutions of their salts, particularly from solutions containing hydrochloric acid contemplates as the first process step a neutralization (1) for precipitating the metals from their acid metal salt solutions in the form of hydroxides or carbonates. The precipitate is pressed (4), and via conduits (9, 10) finally divided metal of the metal having been present as a salt as well as a carbon source originating of waste materials, particularly in form of ground heat setting synthetic plastics materials such as phenolic resins, amine formaldehyde resins, epoxide resins, polyesters, and also CaCO.sub.3 is added. All components of this mixture must be used in a fine-grained state and preferably with a maximum particle size of 0.5 mm. Subsequently, the mixture is via a conduit (11) introduced into a reduction reactor (12) in which this mixture is mechanically agitated and heated to a temperature above the melting point of the metal in consideration for reducing the metal being present as a salt. For recovering the heat content of the effluent gasses as well as for purifying the effluent gasses, the effluent gasses formed during the reduction and containing CO and CO.sub.2 are subjected to a post-combustion (15) and used for drying the pressed metal precipitate. The effluent gasses coming from the drying zone are washed (18), the washed water being preferably used for heating the metal salt solutions to be neutralized.

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Kindberg/Aumuhl, Austria

Walter Hans