Converting process with partial pre-oxidation of PGM collector alloy. The process includes partially pre-oxidizing a raw alloy, introducing an initial charge of the partially pre-oxidized alloy into a converter pot, melting the initial charge, introducing converter feed to the pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel, and no more than 3 wt % sulfur and 3 wt % copper. The process can also include low- or no-flux converting; using a refractory protectant in the converter; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

Multistage process for the preparation of a concentrate of metals, rare metals and rare earth metals from residues of alumina production by Bayer process (red mud), or from materials with a chemical composition similar to red mud, and multistage process for separating the elements of interest, transforming them into single products to be re-used in the Bayer process and/or sending them to the respective reference markets.

The sole FIGURE appended shows the simplified block diagram of the invention, in terms of its most extensive definition.

Multistage process for the preparation of a concentrate of metals, rare metals and rare earth metals from residues of alumina production by Bayer process (red mud), or from materials with a chemical composition similar to red mud, and multistage process for separating the elements of interest, transforming them into single products to be re-used in the Bayer process and/or sending them to the respective reference markets.

The sole FIGURE appended shows the simplified block diagram of the invention, in terms of its most extensive definition.

A low-flux converting process for PGM collector alloy. The process includes feed introduction into a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel. If added flux material contains more than 10 wt % silica and 10 wt % CaO/MgO, the feed contains no more than 20 parts by weight added flux per hundred collector alloy. The process can also include using a refractory protectant in the converter; melting partially pre-oxidized collector alloy to form the initial molten alloy pool; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

A low-flux converting process for PGM collector alloy. The process includes feed introduction into a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel. If added flux material contains more than 10 wt % silica and 10 wt % CaO/MgO, the feed contains no more than 20 parts by weight added flux per hundred collector alloy. The process can also include using a refractory protectant in the converter; melting partially pre-oxidized collector alloy to form the initial molten alloy pool; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

A method for reducing impurities in magnesium comprises: combining a zirconium-containing material with a molten low-impurity magnesium including no more than 1.0 weight percent of total impurities in a vessel to provide a mixture; holding the mixture in a molten state for a period of time sufficient to allow at least a portion of the zirconium-containing material to react with at least a portion of the impurities and form intermetallic compounds; and separating at least a portion of the molten magnesium in the mixture from at least a portion of the intermetallic compounds to provide a purified magnesium, wherein the purified magnesium includes an increased level of zirconium compared to the low-impurity magnesium, wherein the purified magnesium includes greater than 1000 ppm zirconium, and wherein the purified magnesium includes a reduced level of impurities other than zirconium compared to the low-impurity magnesium. A purified magnesium including at least 1000 ppm zirconium and methods for producing zirconium metal using magnesium reductant also are disclosed.

A method for reducing impurities in magnesium comprises: combining a zirconium-containing material with a molten low-impurity magnesium including no more than 1.0 weight percent of total impurities in a vessel to provide a mixture; holding the mixture in a molten state for a period of time sufficient to allow at least a portion of the zirconium-containing material to react with at least a portion of the impurities and form intermetallic compounds; and separating at least a portion of the molten magnesium in the mixture from at least a portion of the intermetallic compounds to provide a purified magnesium, wherein the purified magnesium includes an increased level of zirconium compared to the low-impurity magnesium, wherein the purified magnesium includes greater than 1000 ppm zirconium, and wherein the purified magnesium includes a reduced level of impurities other than zirconium compared to the low-impurity magnesium. A purified magnesium including at least 1000 ppm zirconium and methods for producing zirconium metal using magnesium reductant also are disclosed.

A method of fluxing or degassing a molten metal residing as a bath in a furnace. The bath of molten metal includes a bath surface height and the method provides at least one rotating impeller in the molten metal bath to initiate a flow of the molten metal. The flow in the molten metal results in elevating a portion of the molten metal above the bath surface height where at least one of a fluxing agent and an inert gas is introduced into the elevated portion of the molten metal.

A low-flux converting process for PGM collector alloy. The process includes feed introduction into a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel. If added flux material contains more than 10 wt % silica and 10 wt % CaO/MgO, the feed contains no more than 20 parts by weight added flux per hundred collector alloy. The process can also include using a refractory protectant in the converter; melting partially pre-oxidized collector alloy to form the initial molten alloy pool; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.

A low-flux converting process for PGM collector alloy. The process includes feed introduction into a molten alloy pool, oxygen injection into the pool, tapping the slag, and tapping the PGM-enriched alloy. The collector alloy contains no less than 0.5 wt % PGM, 40 wt % iron, and 0.5 wt % nickel. If added flux material contains more than 10 wt % silica and 10 wt % CaO/MgO, the feed contains no more than 20 parts by weight added flux per hundred collector alloy. The process can also include using a refractory protectant in the converter; melting partially pre-oxidized collector alloy to form the initial molten alloy pool; magnetic separation of slag; recycling part of the slag to the converter; smelting catalyst material in a primary furnace to produce the collector alloy; and/or smelting the converter slag in a secondary furnace with slag from the primary furnace.