Method for metal production

Abstract

This invention relates to a method for the production of reducible metal oxides (e.g. V2O3). The invention also relates to a method for the production of metals (e.g. vanadium) from said oxides. More specifically, the method facilitates the preparation of metal oxides that are capable of being further reduced to their respective metals with high purity.

1 . A method for the production of a partially reduced metal oxide, said method comprising the steps of:
 (a) mixing an oxide of a metal in a receptacle with a first reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof, wherein the oxide of the metal and the reducing agent are present in a first mass ratio; and   (b) heating the mixture of the oxide of the metal and the first reducing agent to produce a partially reduced metal oxide; wherein the partially reduced metal oxide is suitable for further reduction to form a metal.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from a transition metal, a rare earth metal, and aluminium. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is selected from vanadium, titanium, tantalum, niobium, hafnium, zirconium, and aluminium. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal is vanadium and the oxide of the metal is vanadium pentoxide. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the metal oxide used in step (a) is a mixture of different metal oxides. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first reducing agent is selected from calcium, magnesium, calcium hydride, and magnesium hydride. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first reducing agent is calcium. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the mass ratio of metal oxide to first reducing agent is in the range of from 1:0.5 to 1:1.5. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising the step of washing the product of step (b) with an acid. 
     
     
         10 . A method for the production of a metal, said method comprising the steps of:
 (c) mixing the partially reduced metal oxide formed in step (b) of  claim 1 , with a second reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof, wherein the partially reduced metal oxide and the second reducing agent are present in a second mass ratio; and   (d) heating the mixture of the partially reduced metal oxide and second reducing agent to form the metal.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the second reducing agent is selected from calcium, magnesium, calcium hydride, and magnesium hydride. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein step (c) further comprises the step of mixing the product of step (b) and the second reducing agent with one or more additional metals and/or metal oxides. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more additional metals or metal oxides is selected from aluminium, titanium, molybdenum, zirconium, tin, silicon, niobium, iron, and chromium, or an oxide thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the mass ratio of partially reduced metal oxide to second reducing agent is in the range of from 1:1 to 1:5. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of washing the product of step (d) with an acid. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising the step of melting the washed metal or alloy product of step (d) and casting the molten metal or alloy in to a desired shape/form. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the washed metal or alloy product of step (d) is subject to an electron beam remelting step. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the washed metal or alloy product of step (d) is subjected to a gas atomisation step. 
     
     
         19 . A partially reduced metal oxide obtainable by the method of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         20 . A metal or metal alloy obtainable by the method of  claim 10 .