A high pressure filter including first and second housings having complimentary tapered surfaces, a gasket located between the tapered surfaces, a filter element centrally disposed within the housings, and a compression collar fitted over the second housing and threaded onto the first housing is provided. Methods of making and using high pressure filters are also provided.

Methods and systems for the production and delivery of lithium metal of high purity are provided herein. In one or more embodiments, a liquid lithium delivery system contains a liquid lithium delivery module fluidly coupled to a lithium refill container. The liquid lithium delivery module contains a lithium storage region operable to store liquid lithium and containing a fluid supply line fluidly coupling an outlet port of a liquid lithium storage tank, and a flow meter positioned downstream from the lithium storage region along the fluid supply line and operable to monitor the flow of the liquid lithium through the fluid supply line.

The invention relates to hydrometallurgical method for recovering metals from spent energy storage devices. The method comprises combining aqueous hydrobromic acid leach solution and an electrode material of spent energy storage devices in a reaction vessel, dissolving the metals contained in the electrode material to form soluble metal bromide salts, removing elemental bromine, if formed, from the reaction vessel, separating insoluble material, if present, from the leach solution to obtain a metal-bearing solution and isolating one or more metals from said metal-bearing solution.

Apparatus and method for filtering molten metal including a container with a removable lid to keep the container sealed during operation, the container having an inlet chamber having an inlet opening receiving metal from a metal supply launder and outlet chamber with outlet opening connected to a launder segment. The container having a partition wall between the inlet chamber and outlet chamber and a ceramic foam filter mounted in the outlet chamber. The inlet chamber and outlet chamber being provided within the container and split by the partition wall. The container being connected in parallel with the metal supply launder via stubs. The launder being provided with a dam or valve device downstream the outlet of the container and another dam or valve device between the said launder stubs. Inside the container there is further arranged a second outlet chamber with a filter.

The present invention relates to an enhanced process for the recovery of lithium from compositions also containing aluminum. An example of such a metallurgical compositions is the metallurgical slag that is obtained when recycling lithium-ion batteries or their derived products using a pyrometallurgical smelting process. Acid leaching of such a slag, followed by neutralization to precipitate aluminum leads to poor lithium yields as lithium tends to co-precipitate with aluminum. A process is presented wherein aluminum is selectively precipitated using a source of phosphate at a controlled pH preferably between 3 and 4.

A ceramic foam filter and a manufacturing method thereof. The ceramic foam filter comprises the following materials provided in respective weight percentages: 20-50% of a silicon carbide, 20-55% of a zirconium oxide, and 10-36% of a silicon oxide, wherein all figures are based on the total weight of the ceramic foam filter. The method for manufacturing the ceramic foam filter comprises the following steps: (a) providing a slurry comprising a silicon carbide, a zirconium oxide or zirconium oxide precursor, a silicon oxide or silicon oxide precursor, a binder, an optional additive, and a fluid carrier medium; (b) applying the slurry to perform surface ornamentation of a perforated organic foam; (c) drying the perforated organic foam surface ornamented with the slurry to obtain a green body; and (d) sintering the green body in oxygen-containing air to obtain the ceramic foam filter.

A direct reduction process for the production of ferrochrome from chromite ore or concentrate is disclosed. According to the present invention, calcium chloride (CaCl.sub.2) is added as a catalyst to accelerate the solid reduction and enhance the particle growth of the metallic phase (i.e. ferrochrome) during reduction. The reduction of chromite ore or concentrate takes place at much lower temperatures (e.g. 1200 to 1400° C.) compared to the conventional smelting technologies, and the ferrochrome particles formed are segregated from the unwanted residual gangue and spinel particles, facilitating their subsequent physical separation.

Casting filter, in particular for filtering and/or purifying a metal melt, having a cell structure for passing through a metal melt and having a supporting structure for reinforcing the cell structure, the cell structure and/or the supporting structure being produced at least in sections from a ceramic material, the cell structure being formed by a plurality of cells which are delimited from one another by cell walls, wherein at least one of the cells has a constant cross-sectional shape along a flow orientation, wherein at least one of the cell walls has a wall thickness of less than 1 mm, and wherein the supporting structure is formed by at least one supporting wall which extends at least in sections between adjacent cells and whose wall thickness is greater, at least in sections, than the wall thickness of a cell wall.

Apparatus and method for filtering molten metal, in particular aluminium, including a container (1) with an outer shell or casing of metal and an inner thermally insulated interior cladding or wall construction made of heat resistant insulation and refractory material. A removable lid (2) provided on top of the container to keep the container sealed (air tight) during operation, the container (1) being provided with an inlet chamber (3) having an inlet opening (4) receiving metal from a metal supply launder (10) and an outlet chamber (5) with an outlet opening (6) in which a ceramic or refractory filter (7) is mounted.

A direct reduction process for the production of ferrochrome from chromite ore or concentrate is disclosed. According to the present invention, calcium chloride (CaCl.sub.2) is added as a catalyst to accelerate the solid reduction and enhance the particle growth of the metallic phase (i.e. ferrochrome) during reduction. The reduction of chromite ore or concentrate takes place at much lower temperatures (e.g. 1200 to 1400 C.) compared to the conventional smelting technologies, and the ferrochrome particles formed are segregated from the unwanted residual gangue and spinel particles, facilitating their subsequent physical separation.