Described herein is a method of forming a smelting byproduct that can be formed into an inorganic fiber, the method comprising: a) introducing silicomanganese slag and a smelting additive into a submerged arc furnace comprising a collection zone; b) smelting the silicomanganese slag into a silicomanganese metal and a smelting byproduct, whereby the silicomanganese metal settles to a lower portion of the collection zone and the smelting byproduct gathers in an upper portion of the collection zone due to density differential between the silicomanganese metal and the smelting byproduct; c) flowing the smelting byproduct from the collection zone from a first outlet; and d) flowing the silicomanganese metal from the collection zone from a second outlet.

A method for refining lithium from a crude brine includes charging a crude brine into a feeder tank held at a temperature T.sub.1 and containing a sufficient carbonate source to precipitate all carbonate-forming solids in the crude brine to form a precipitate mixture and a crystal free supernatant; pumping the crystal free supernatant from the feeder tank to a first crystallization reactor that is held at a temperature T.sub.2 to crystallize a lithium carbonate salt out of the crystal free supernatant; wherein the temperature T.sub.1 is lower than the temperature T.sub.2; and controlling a flow rate to maintain a steady state concentration of the lithium carbonate salt in the solution phase of the crystallization reactor.

A method for refining lithium from a crude brine includes charging a crude brine into a feeder tank held at a temperature T.sub.1 and containing a sufficient carbonate source to precipitate all carbonate-forming solids in the crude brine to form a precipitate mixture and a crystal free supernatant; pumping the crystal free supernatant from the feeder tank to a first crystallization reactor that is held at a temperature T.sub.2 to crystallize a lithium carbonate salt out of the crystal free supernatant; wherein the temperature T.sub.1 is lower than the temperature T.sub.2; and controlling a flow rate to maintain a steady state concentration of the lithium carbonate salt in the solution phase of the crystallization reactor.

The present invention provides a method which is capable of more strictly controlling the oxygen partial pressure required during the melting of a starting material, thereby being capable of recovering a valuable metal more efficiently. A method for recovering valuable metals (Cu, Ni, Co), said method comprising the following steps: a step for preparing, as a starting material, a charge that contains at least phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn) and valuable metals; a step for heating and melting the starting material into a melt, and subsequently forming the melt into a molten material that contains an alloy and slag; and a step for recovering the alloy that contains valuable metals by separating the slag from the molten material. With respect to this method for recovering valuable metals, the oxygen partial pressure in the melt is directly measured with use of an oxygen analyzer when the starting material is heated and melted.

The present invention provides a method which is capable of more strictly controlling the oxygen partial pressure required during the melting of a starting material, thereby being capable of recovering a valuable metal more efficiently. A method for recovering valuable metals (Cu, Ni, Co), said method comprising the following steps: a step for preparing, as a starting material, a charge that contains at least phosphorus (P), manganese (Mn) and valuable metals; a step for heating and melting the starting material into a melt, and subsequently forming the melt into a molten material that contains an alloy and slag; and a step for recovering the alloy that contains valuable metals by separating the slag from the molten material. With respect to this method for recovering valuable metals, the oxygen partial pressure in the melt is directly measured with use of an oxygen analyzer when the starting material is heated and melted.

The invention relates to a method for preparing titanium alloys based on aluminothermic self-propagating gradient reduction and slag-washing refining, and belongs to the technical field of titanium-aluminum alloys. The method comprises the following steps of pre-treating raw materials, weighing the raw materials in the mass ratio of rutile or high-titanium slags or titanium dioxide to aluminum powder to V.sub.2O.sub.5 powder to CaO to KClO.sub.3 being 1.0:(0.60-0.24):(0.042-0.048):(0.12-0.26):(0.22-0.30), performing an aluminothermic self-propagating reaction in a gradient feeding manner to obtain high-temperature melt, performing a gradient reduction melting, performing heat insulation and separating the melt after the feeding is completed, then adding CaF.sub.2CaOTiO.sub.2V.sub.2O.sub.5 based refining slags into the high-temperature melt, performing slag washing refining, and finally removing slags to obtain titanium alloys. This method has the advantages including short flow, low energy consumption, easy operation, easy control on Al and V contained in alloys, and so on.

The invention relates to a method for preparing titanium alloys based on aluminothermic self-propagating gradient reduction and slag-washing refining, and belongs to the technical field of titanium-aluminum alloys. The method comprises the following steps of pre-treating raw materials, weighing the raw materials in the mass ratio of rutile or high-titanium slags or titanium dioxide to aluminum powder to V.sub.2O.sub.5 powder to CaO to KClO.sub.3 being 1.0:(0.60-0.24):(0.042-0.048):(0.12-0.26):(0.22-0.30), performing an aluminothermic self-propagating reaction in a gradient feeding manner to obtain high-temperature melt, performing a gradient reduction melting, performing heat insulation and separating the melt after the feeding is completed, then adding CaF.sub.2CaOTiO.sub.2V.sub.2O.sub.5 based refining slags into the high-temperature melt, performing slag washing refining, and finally removing slags to obtain titanium alloys. This method has the advantages including short flow, low energy consumption, easy operation, easy control on Al and V contained in alloys, and so on.

A method of processing an iron-rich rare earth bearing ore which includes the steps of smelting the ore to concentrate rare earth oxide minerals in the ore into a slag phase and extracting the rare earth oxide minerals from the slag.

Provided is a molten salt composition for smelting magnesium using a solid oxide membrane (SOM) process. The low-temperature molten salt composition can be applied to a SOM process and contains, by wt %, 42% to 47% of MgF.sub.2, 42% to 47% of CaF.sub.2, 6% to 16% of one or more of LiF and NaF, and a remainder of inevitable impurities.

Provided is a molten salt composition for smelting magnesium using a solid oxide membrane (SOM) process. The low-temperature molten salt composition can be applied to a SOM process and contains, by wt %, 42% to 47% of MgF.sub.2, 42% to 47% of CaF.sub.2, 6% to 16% of one or more of LiF and NaF, and a remainder of inevitable impurities.