A galvanic cell and methods of using the galvanic cell is described for the recovery of uranium from used nuclear fuel according to an electrofluorination process. The galvanic cell requires no input energy and can utilize relatively benign gaseous fluorinating agents. Uranium can be recovered from used nuclear fuel in the form of gaseous uranium compound such as uranium hexafluoride, which can then be converted to metallic uranium or UO.sub.2 and processed according to known methodology to form a useful product, e.g., fuel pellets for use in a commercial energy production system.

Processing of mineral material containing precious metal with one or more sulfide minerals and non-sulfide gangue minerals including acid-consuming carbonate may include preparation of a sulfide concentrate by flotation with the flotation or conditioning prior to flotation using a gas comprising carbon dioxide. Flotation may be at an acidic pH without prior decomposition of the acid-consuming carbonate and may be without addition of acid for pH adjustment.

Processing of mineral material containing precious metal with one or more sulfide minerals and non-sulfide gangue minerals including acid-consuming carbonate may include preparation of a sulfide concentrate by flotation with the flotation or conditioning prior to flotation using a gas comprising carbon dioxide. Flotation may be at an acidic pH without prior decomposition of the acid-consuming carbonate and may be without addition of acid for pH adjustment.

A method for recovering active metals of a lithium secondary battery may supply a cathode active material mixture to a fluidized bed reactor including a reactor body. A reaction gas may be introduced from a lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor to form a fluidized bed including a preliminary precursor mixture within the reactor body. The fluidized bed portion that has entered the upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor may be cooled to descend it into the reactor body, and then a lithium precursor may be recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture. Accordingly, a terminal velocity of the preliminary precursor is reduced, such that even if the particle size of the preliminary precursor is fine, loss due to scattering may be prevented.

A method for recovering active metals of a lithium secondary battery may supply a cathode active material mixture to a fluidized bed reactor including a reactor body. A reaction gas may be introduced from a lower portion of the fluidized bed reactor to form a fluidized bed including a preliminary precursor mixture within the reactor body. The fluidized bed portion that has entered the upper portion of the fluidized bed reactor may be cooled to descend it into the reactor body, and then a lithium precursor may be recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture. Accordingly, a terminal velocity of the preliminary precursor is reduced, such that even if the particle size of the preliminary precursor is fine, loss due to scattering may be prevented.

A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials that comprises using a one or more of a suite of processes including fluidized bed separation, plasma-based stimulation or enhancement of chemical reactions using a Reactive X-Ray Chemical Processor, field enhancement of chemical reactions and process and drying. All of the processes can be used singly, jointly, simultaneously or sequentially in multiple stages. The methods are nearly non-polluting and serve to replace polluting wet chemistry and other beneficiation techniques.

A method for beneficiation of mineralogical materials that comprises using a one or more of a suite of processes including fluidized bed separation, plasma-based stimulation or enhancement of chemical reactions using a Reactive X-Ray Chemical Processor, field enhancement of chemical reactions and process and drying. All of the processes can be used singly, jointly, simultaneously or sequentially in multiple stages. The methods are nearly non-polluting and serve to replace polluting wet chemistry and other beneficiation techniques.

A system and method for generating reductants during direct reduction of metal ore is provided. The system has a reduction portion configured to accept the metal ore and to heat the metal ore to form a gas and particle mixture, a quench section in communication with the reduction portion and configured to receive the mixture having a catalyst located in an interior of the quench section, and a heat exchanger located in an interior of the quench section, having at least one channel configured to contact the mixture and form a hot reactant stream from the gas and particle mixture, wherein the heat exchanger utilizes a heat energy from the reduction portion, and a reactant inlet configured to provide reactants to the interior of the quench section, and wherein the reactants react using heat from the stream to generate a reductant.

A system and method for generating reductants during direct reduction of metal ore is provided. The system has a reduction portion configured to accept the metal ore and to heat the metal ore to form a gas and particle mixture, a quench section in communication with the reduction portion and configured to receive the mixture having a catalyst located in an interior of the quench section, and a heat exchanger located in an interior of the quench section, having at least one channel configured to contact the mixture and form a hot reactant stream from the gas and particle mixture, wherein the heat exchanger utilizes a heat energy from the reduction portion, and a reactant inlet configured to provide reactants to the interior of the quench section, and wherein the reactants react using heat from the stream to generate a reductant.

In a method for recovering an active metal of a lithium secondary battery, a preliminary cathode active material mixture is prepared from a cathode of a waste lithium secondary battery, the preliminary cathode active material mixture is fluidized through oxygen-containing gas within a fluidized bed reactor to form a cathode active material mixture, reductive gas is injected into the fluidized bed reactor to form a preliminary precursor mixture from the cathode active material mixture, and a lithium precursor is recovered from the preliminary precursor mixture.