A vapor deposition metal mask substrate includes a nickel-containing metal sheet including a obverse surface and a reverse surface, which is opposite to the obverse surface. At least one of the obverse surface and the reverse surface is a target surface for placing a resist layer. The target surface has a surface roughness Sa of less than or equal to 0.019 m. The target surface has a surface roughness Sz of less than or equal to 0.308 m.

The present invention provides a molten-salt electrolytic refining apparatus for refining a raw-material alloy containing indium using a molten-salt electrolytic refining method. The molten-salt electrolytic refining apparatus includes a reaction crucible provided in a reaction container so as to be filled with a molten-salt electrolytic solution, an anode and a cathode immersed in the molten-salt electrolytic solution, an anode crucible in which a liquid raw-material alloy is contained, a cathode crucible in which at least one raw-material metal included in the raw-material alloy is recovered in a liquid phase, and a heater provided so that the temperature of the molten-salt electrolytic solution is adjusted to be equal to or greater than the melting temperature of the raw-material alloy. The present invention also provides a molten-salt electrolytic refining method which includes recovering indium (In) from an indium-tin (InSn) alloy using a molten-salt electrolytic solution containing fluoride.

An electrolyte flow regulator device and system that eliminates electrode edge strips, preferably cathodes edge strips, by obstructing the passage of the rich electrolyte to be electrodeposited and by the electrical isolation caused by the side walls of the device in the area where the edge strip was originally arranged, being able to obtain edges of an electrode without electrodeposition.

Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining, and spent electroprocessing solvent can be recycled to the recovery process.

Lead from lead acid battery scrap is recovered in two separate production streams as clean grid lead and as high-purity lead without smelting. In preferred aspects, lead recovery is performed in a continuous process that uses an aqueous electroprocessing solvent and electro-refining, and spent electroprocessing solvent can be recycled to the recovery process.

A system to remove sodium and Sulfur from a feed stream containing alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides in addition to heavy metals. The system includes an electrolytic cell having an anolyte compartment housing an anode in contact with an anolyte. The anolyte includes alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides dissolved in a polar organic solvent. The anolyte includes heavy metal ions. A separator includes an ion conducting membrane and separates the anolyte compartment from a catholyte compartment that includes a cathode in contact with a catholyte. The catholyte includes an alkali ion-conductive liquid. A power source applies a voltage to the electrolytic cell high enough to reduce the alkali metal and oxidize Sulfur ions to allow recovery of the alkali metal and elemental sulfur. The ratio of sodium to Sulfur is such that the open circuit potential of the electrolytic cell is greater than about 2.3V.

A system to remove sodium and Sulfur from a feed stream containing alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides in addition to heavy metals. The system includes an electrolytic cell having an anolyte compartment housing an anode in contact with an anolyte. The anolyte includes alkali metal sulfides and polysulfides dissolved in a polar organic solvent. The anolyte includes heavy metal ions. A separator includes an ion conducting membrane and separates the anolyte compartment from a catholyte compartment that includes a cathode in contact with a catholyte. The catholyte includes an alkali ion-conductive liquid. A power source applies a voltage to the electrolytic cell high enough to reduce the alkali metal and oxidize Sulfur ions to allow recovery of the alkali metal and elemental sulfur. The ratio of sodium to Sulfur is such that the open circuit potential of the electrolytic cell is greater than about 2.3V.

There is described a method of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is added to an electro-reduction cell containing a halide salt electrolyte at a temperature above the melting point of the metallic form of uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel. The cell is operated so as to electrochemically reduce the spent nuclear fuel to an alloy of uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel, wherein electrochemical reduction is continued until a concentration of unreduced components of the spent nuclear fuel is sufficiently low for the ahoy to agglomerate.

There is described a method of reprocessing spent nuclear fuel. The spent nuclear fuel is added to an electro-reduction cell containing a halide salt electrolyte at a temperature above the melting point of the metallic form of uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel. The cell is operated so as to electrochemically reduce the spent nuclear fuel to an alloy of uranium and higher actinides present in the spent nuclear fuel, wherein electrochemical reduction is continued until a concentration of unreduced components of the spent nuclear fuel is sufficiently low for the ahoy to agglomerate.

The invention relates to an EWS module device for electro-winning and/or electro-refining, based on a saturated leaching solution of PLS/electrolyte/raffmate/ILS without solvent extraction, characterised by comprising: a tank (10 and 12); a set of electrolytic cells contained within the tank, wherein the cells are electrically and volumetrically separated by the internal walls of the module (14), with the cells being connected in series by a joining board or capping board (3); an intercellular bar (1); an intercellular bar guide (2); inlet and outlet ducts for the PLS/electrolyte/raffinate/ILS (17) and (11) for each cell independently; and each EWS module is in turn connected to the other modules by an inter-module connector (18), and same in turn control the connection and disconnection of the EWS modules by an interrupter (25); operating process of the EWS module device; and connection and disconnection process between different EWS module devices.