A method of selectively oxidizing one or more target metals in an alloy comprising target and non-target metals is provided. The method comprises the steps of: i) melting the alloy and exposing the molten alloy to simultaneous fragmentation and oxidation in the presence of an oxygenated atomizing gas under conditions sufficient to yield an oxidation potential that oxidizes the one or more target metals in the alloy and does not oxidize the non-target metal(s); and ii) allowing the treated alloy to solidify. The method is useful to purify a non-target base metal. The method is also useful to produce a metal compound comprising a desired content of one or more oxidized target metals above the theoretical maximum generally achieved by thermal plasma spray surface coating applications.

A manufacturing method includes a first pulverization step of compressively pulverizing a manganese oxide-containing material containing at least manganese, calcium, silicon, iron, and phosphorus, which is used as a raw material, to form a composite in which a compound phase of nCaO.P.sub.2O.sub.5 is combined with at least one phase of a spinel phase and a calcium ferrite phase, which are ferromagnetic materials, and produce a first pulverized manganese oxide-containing material containing the composite; a first magnetic separation step of separating the first pulverized manganese oxide-containing material produced in the pulverization step into a magnetic substance and a non-magnetic substance under a magnetic force; and a step of recovering the non-magnetic substance separated in the first magnetic separation step as a manganese raw material.

A manufacturing method includes a first pulverization step of compressively pulverizing a manganese oxide-containing material containing at least manganese, calcium, silicon, iron, and phosphorus, which is used as a raw material, to form a composite in which a compound phase of nCaO.P.sub.2O.sub.5 is combined with at least one phase of a spinel phase and a calcium ferrite phase, which are ferromagnetic materials, and produce a first pulverized manganese oxide-containing material containing the composite; a first magnetic separation step of separating the first pulverized manganese oxide-containing material produced in the pulverization step into a magnetic substance and a non-magnetic substance under a magnetic force; and a step of recovering the non-magnetic substance separated in the first magnetic separation step as a manganese raw material.

A method for enriching niobium and titanium in a mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium, includes: reacting raw materials comprising 1 part by weight of a mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium, 0.1-0.8 part by weight of a nickel-containing substance and 0.2-1 part by weight of carbon at 800-1500 C. to obtain a nickel-iron alloy and a niobium-titanium rich slag, where an amount of the mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium is counted in terms of iron element, and an amount of the nickel-containing substance is counted in terms of nickel element. The nickel-containing substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of oxides of nickel and nickel minerals.

A method for enriching niobium and titanium in a mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium, includes: reacting raw materials comprising 1 part by weight of a mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium, 0.1-0.8 part by weight of a nickel-containing substance and 0.2-1 part by weight of carbon at 800-1500 C. to obtain a nickel-iron alloy and a niobium-titanium rich slag, where an amount of the mineral containing iron, niobium, and titanium is counted in terms of iron element, and an amount of the nickel-containing substance is counted in terms of nickel element. The nickel-containing substance is one or more selected from the group consisting of oxides of nickel and nickel minerals.

The invention relates to metallurgical production, and more particularly to preparing a charge ingot which is used for producing bronze ingots by casting. As a starting charge material, a spent inert anode previously used in the electrolytic production of aluminium is utilised, that is covered with alumina, allowing same to react with a bath which flows out of the anode during a thermal treatment performed at a temperature within a range of 950-1200 C., followed by soaking in a furnace for at least 3 days. The invention makes it possible to obtain a charge ingot with a minimal electrolyte content.

A method and system is used to process slag material to yield by-products including a finished iron rich product and a finished low iron fines product. The by-products may include a finished high iron product and a finished medium iron product. The method and system include size classifying the material into a plurality of sized groups prior to using magnetic separation to separate at least one of the sized groups into two portions having differing magnetic susceptibilities. The method and system may include more than one phase of size classifying the material into a plurality of sized groups and using magnetic separation to separate at least one of the sized groups into portions, where the average size of the material remaining after one phase is reduced prior to the subsequent phase.

A method and system is used to process slag material to yield by-products including a finished iron rich product and a finished low iron fines product. The by-products may include a finished high iron product and a finished medium iron product. The method and system include size classifying the material into a plurality of sized groups prior to using magnetic separation to separate at least one of the sized groups into two portions having differing magnetic susceptibilities. The method and system may include more than one phase of size classifying the material into a plurality of sized groups and using magnetic separation to separate at least one of the sized groups into portions, where the average size of the material remaining after one phase is reduced prior to the subsequent phase.

Methods of preparing Zr based metallic using Zr sponge refined by a refining process are described. An exemplary method includes heating Zr sponge in a processing chamber with an electron-beam-heating apparatus or an arc-melting apparatus under a desired pressure condition to release volatile contaminants from the Zr sponge, introducing a purge gas into the processing chamber and permitting the purge gas to intermingle with at least some of the released volatile contaminants, evacuating the processing chamber to extract at least some of the purge gas and released volatile contaminants, repeating the heating of the Zr sponge, the introducing of the purge gas, and the evacuating of the processing chamber release and evacuate additional volatile contaminants from the Zr sponge to provide a processed Zr sponge with enhanced purity, and melting the processed Zr sponge with multiple other alloy constituents to provide a Zr-based metallic alloy.

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.