A high-purity calcium and method of producing same are provided. The method includes performing first sublimation purification by introducing calcium starting material having a purity, excluding gas components, of 4N or less into a crucible of a sublimation vessel, subjecting the starting material to sublimation by heating at 750 C. to 800 C., and causing the product to deposit or evaporate onto the inside walls of the sublimation vessel; and then, once the calcium that has been subjected to first sublimation purification is recovered, performing second sublimation purification by introducing the recovered calcium again to the crucible to the sublimation vessel, heating the recovered calcium at 750 C. to 800 C., and causing the product to similarly deposit or evaporate on the inside walls of the sublimation vessel thereby recovering calcium having a purity of 4N5 or higher.

A high-purity calcium and method of producing same are provided. The method includes performing first sublimation purification by introducing calcium starting material having a purity, excluding gas components, of 4N or less into a crucible of a sublimation vessel, subjecting the starting material to sublimation by heating at 750 C. to 800 C., and causing the product to deposit or evaporate onto the inside walls of the sublimation vessel; and then, once the calcium that has been subjected to first sublimation purification is recovered, performing second sublimation purification by introducing the recovered calcium again to the crucible to the sublimation vessel, heating the recovered calcium at 750 C. to 800 C., and causing the product to similarly deposit or evaporate on the inside walls of the sublimation vessel thereby recovering calcium having a purity of 4N5 or higher.

Provided is a high purity tin (Sn) having an extremely low oxygen content. A high purity tin having a tin purity of 5N (99.999% by mass, provided that carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen are excluded) or more, wherein the high purity tin has an oxygen content of less than 10 ppb by mass, as measured by elemental analysis using Dynamic-SIMS.

The invention provides a method for the recovery of a metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod) comprising: providing a composite material comprising a matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), a product metal (M.sub.P) dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), and one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) of the product metal (M.sub.P) in one or more oxidation states dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o); and treating the composite material to at least partially remove the one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) from the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o) to form the metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod).

The invention provides a method for the recovery of a metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod) comprising: providing a composite material comprising a matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), a product metal (M.sub.P) dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o), and one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) of the product metal (M.sub.P) in one or more oxidation states dispersed in the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o); and treating the composite material to at least partially remove the one or more metal compounds (M.sub.PC.sub.R) from the matrix of oxidised reductant (R.sub.o) to form the metal-containing product (M.sub.Prod).

A method includes performing pre-treating, comprising fire-roasting or wet-washing, on the processed aluminum scraps of aeronautical aluminum alloy. The method further includes performing pressing formation on the pre-treated processed aluminum scraps of aeronautical aluminum alloy to form block-shaped aluminum scraps. The method further includes performing oxygen-controlled smelting on the block-shaped aluminum scraps in a smelting furnace to form aluminum alloy melt. The method further includes performing casting on the aluminum alloy melt to obtain an aluminum alloy product of meeting component requirements of aeronautical aluminum alloy.

Processes for producing low-nitrogen metallic chromium or chromium-containing alloys, which prevent the nitrogen in the surrounding atmosphere from being carried into the melt and being absorbed by the metallic chromium or chromium-containing alloy during the metallothermic reaction, include vacuum-degassing a thermite mixture comprising metal compounds and metallic reducing powders contained within a vacuum vessel, igniting the thermite mixture to effect reduction of the metal compounds within the vessel under reduced pressure i.e., below 1 bar, and conducting the entire reduction reaction in said vessel under reduced pressure, including solidification and cooling, to produce a final product with a nitrogen content below 10 ppm. The final products obtained, in addition to low-nitrogen metallic chromium in combination with other elements, can be used as raw materials in the manufacture of superalloys, stainless steel and other specialty steels whose final content of nitrogen is below 10 ppm.

Processes for producing low-nitrogen metallic chromium or chromium-containing alloys, which prevent the nitrogen in the surrounding atmosphere from being carried into the melt and being absorbed by the metallic chromium or chromium-containing alloy during the metallothermic reaction, include vacuum-degassing a thermite mixture comprising metal compounds and metallic reducing powders contained within a vacuum vessel, igniting the thermite mixture to effect reduction of the metal compounds within the vessel under reduced pressure i.e., below 1 bar, and conducting the entire reduction reaction in said vessel under reduced pressure, including solidification and cooling, to produce a final product with a nitrogen content below 10 ppm. The final products obtained, in addition to low-nitrogen metallic chromium in combination with other elements, can be used as raw materials in the manufacture of superalloys, stainless steel and other specialty steels whose final content of nitrogen is below 10 ppm.

A process for recovering metal from a process material comprising the metal and a component that is more volatile than the metal, which process comprises: transporting the process material in a retort provided in a furnace, the retort being operated under vacuum and at a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of the component from the process material thereby producing purified metal; depositing the component that has been sublimed on a cool surface; removing purified metal from the retort; and removing deposited component from the cool surface.

A process for recovering metal from a process material comprising the metal and a component that is more volatile than the metal, which process comprises: transporting the process material in a retort provided in a furnace, the retort being operated under vacuum and at a temperature sufficient to cause sublimation of the component from the process material thereby producing purified metal; depositing the component that has been sublimed on a cool surface; removing purified metal from the retort; and removing deposited component from the cool surface.