A method of melting an aluminum charge having no more that 4% salt by mass, including during a melting phase, introducing fuel and oxidant via a burner operating at a first firing rate, the fuel and oxidant reacting to form a combustion zone above the aluminum charge, terminating the melting phase and commencing a transition phase when the aluminum charge is nearly completely molten, during the transition phase, reducing the firing rate of the burner to a second firing rate lower than the first firing rate, introducing a non-oxidizing gas at a first velocity to form a non-oxidizing zone between the combustion zone and the aluminum charge, and allowing the aluminum charge to become completely molten, and terminating the transition phase and commencing a tapping phase after the aluminum charge has become completely molten, and during the tapping phase, pouring the molten aluminum charge out of the furnace.

Methods for degassing and for removing impurities from molten metals are disclosed. These methods can include operating an ultrasonic device in a molten metal bath, and adding a purging gas into the molten metal bath in close proximity to the ultrasonic device.

Methods for degassing and for removing impurities from molten metals are disclosed. These methods can include operating an ultrasonic device in a molten metal bath, and adding a purging gas into the molten metal bath in close proximity to the ultrasonic device.

A hydrogen, lithium, and lithium hydride processing apparatus includes a hot zone to heat solid-phase lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; a vacuum source to extract hydrogen and gaseous-phase lithium metal from the liquid-phase lithium hydride; a cold zone to condense the gaseous-phase lithium metal as purified solid-phase lithium metal; and a heater to melt the purified solid-phase lithium metal in the cold zone and form refined liquid-phase lithium metal in the hot zone.

The present invention is directed to a method for the separation of an actinide from another metal. The method comprises the following steps: (a) establishing a non-homogeneous magnetic field across a separation column containing a paramagnetic packing material and (b) providing a fluid containing the actinide and the another metal to the separation column wherein the fluid and the paramagnetic packing material are exposed to the non-homogeneous magnetic field. The non-homogeneous magnetic field is produced by a magnet having a first pole for magnetic interaction with a second pole of the magnet wherein the first pole has a different surface area than the second pole. The non-homogeneous magnetic field has a magnetic field gradient of about 500 lines/cm.sup.2/cm or more. In addition, the present invention is also directed to a method for the separation of one heavy metal from another heavy metal.

To provide a technique that reliably and quickly melts conductive metal, there is provided a conductive metal melting method including: rotating a magnetic field device formed of a permanent magnet, which includes a permanent magnet, about a vertical axis near a driving flow channel of a flow channel that includes an inlet through which conductive molten metal flows into the flow channel from the outside and an outlet through which the molten metal is discharged to the outside and includes a vortex chamber provided between the driving flow channel provided on an upstream side and an outflow channel provided on a downstream side, and moving lines of magnetic force of the permanent magnet while the lines of magnetic force of the permanent magnet pass through the molten metal present in the driving flow channel; allowing the molten metal to flow into the vortex chamber by an electromagnetic force generated with the movement to generate the vortex of the molten metal in the vortex chamber into which the raw material is to be put; and discharging the molten metal to the outside from the outlet. The conductive metal melting method further includes driving the molten metal present in the outflow channel toward the outlet by an electromagnetic force generated with the movement of the lines of magnetic force as necessary.

To provide a technique that reliably and quickly melts conductive metal, there is provided a conductive metal melting method including: rotating a magnetic field device formed of a permanent magnet, which includes a permanent magnet, about a vertical axis near a driving flow channel of a flow channel that includes an inlet through which conductive molten metal flows into the flow channel from the outside and an outlet through which the molten metal is discharged to the outside and includes a vortex chamber provided between the driving flow channel provided on an upstream side and an outflow channel provided on a downstream side, and moving lines of magnetic force of the permanent magnet while the lines of magnetic force of the permanent magnet pass through the molten metal present in the driving flow channel; allowing the molten metal to flow into the vortex chamber by an electromagnetic force generated with the movement to generate the vortex of the molten metal in the vortex chamber into which the raw material is to be put; and discharging the molten metal to the outside from the outlet. The conductive metal melting method further includes driving the molten metal present in the outflow channel toward the outlet by an electromagnetic force generated with the movement of the lines of magnetic force as necessary.

A method and plant for gold recovery from any gold-bearing ore by low-temperature chlorination, wherein the finely-divided gold-bearing feedstock is chlorinated gaseous chlorine at a temperature of about 245 C. to form a highly volatile chloride compound, which after leaving a reactor is directed to a low-temperature nitrogen plasma unit having a temperature of 900-1100 C., wherein the said compound decomposes and turns into high-purity gold powder, which is cooled with gaseous nitrogen at a cooling reactor's inlet, which is equipped with a water chamber, and collected in a dumping hopper. Some embodiments allow recovery of high-purity 999.9 fine gold using an environmentally friendly, cost effective and inexpensive method implemented on an industrial scale.

A method and plant for gold recovery from any gold-bearing ore by low-temperature chlorination, wherein the finely-divided gold-bearing feedstock is chlorinated gaseous chlorine at a temperature of about 245 C. to form a highly volatile chloride compound, which after leaving a reactor is directed to a low-temperature nitrogen plasma unit having a temperature of 900-1100 C., wherein the said compound decomposes and turns into high-purity gold powder, which is cooled with gaseous nitrogen at a cooling reactor's inlet, which is equipped with a water chamber, and collected in a dumping hopper. Some embodiments allow recovery of high-purity 999.9 fine gold using an environmentally friendly, cost effective and inexpensive method implemented on an industrial scale.

A molten metal rotor receives and retains an end of a molten metal rotor shaft. The rotor shaft has one or more projections at the end received in the rotor. The rotor has an inner cavity, a top surface with an opening leading to the inner cavity, and at least one abutment. The opening includes one or more portions for allowing each projection to pass through the opening and into the inner cavity. The rotor and/or shaft are then rotated so at least one of the outwardly-extending projections is under the top surface of the rotor and is against an abutment. A molten metal pump, rotary degasser scrap melter or other device used in molten metal may utilize a rotor/shaft combination as disclosed herein.