The invention comprises methods and apparatuses for the electrorefining of Mg from Al or Mg alloy scrap. The invention utilizes the density and charge features of Mg present in a melted alloy to continuously extract Mg and Mg alloys from a melted Al alloy feed.

The invention comprises methods and apparatuses for the electrorefining of Mg from Al or Mg alloy scrap. The invention utilizes the density and charge features of Mg present in a melted alloy to continuously extract Mg and Mg alloys from a melted Al alloy feed.

Applying a sufficient quantity of an Alkali metal or an Alkaline earth metal to a fluid in a stripping process loop 106 to form a first intermediary compound and thereby, to strip the undesired element from the process fluid 102. The first intermediary compound 130 is processed in a recovery process loop 110 to recover the Alkali metal or Alkaline earth metal. The recovered Alkali metal or Alkaline earth metal is then re-introduced to an additional quantity of process fluid to strip and clean the undesired element from the additional quantity of the process fluid. A recovery process loop 110 may include either or both of a chemical substitution process, and an electrolytic process, effective to separate the Alkali metal or Alkaline earth metal from the undesired element or another compound.

A mobile energy carrier with which energy in the form of materials from zones distributed widely throughout the world, for example with a large amount of solar energy, wind energy or other CO.sub.2-neutral energy, for example the equator, can be transported to zones where there is a high energy requirement, for example Europe.

A mobile energy carrier with which energy in the form of materials from zones distributed widely throughout the world, for example with a large amount of solar energy, wind energy or other CO.sub.2-neutral energy, for example the equator, can be transported to zones where there is a high energy requirement, for example Europe.

The present description relates to a process for producing magnesium metal from magnesium-bearing ores using serpentine. The process described herein consists generally in a mineral preparation and classification followed by leaching with dilute hydrochloric acid. The slurry is filtered and the non-leached portion, containing amorphous silica is recovered. The residual solution is neutralized and purified by chemical precipitation with non activated and activated serpentine. The nickel is also recovered by precipitation at higher pH. A final neutralisation and purification step of magnesium chloride solution by precipitation allows eliminating any traces of residual impurities. The purified magnesium chloride solution is evaporated until saturation and the MgCl.sub.2.6H.sub.2O is recovered by crystallization in an acid media. The salt is dehydrated and subsequent electrolysis of anhydrous magnesium chloride produces pure magnesium metal and hydrochloric acid.

Methods for forming magnesium batteries include improved processes for synthesizing magnesium electrolytes. The magnesium electrolytes include boron cluster anions, and the improved methods are solid phase or solution phase reactions that yield the desired magnesium boron cluster electrolytes from inexpensive, commercially available starting materials in a single step with relatively high purity.

A method of producing metallic powder for use in the manufacture of a capacitor comprises the step of reducing a non-metallic compound to metal in contact with a molten salt. The salt comprises, for at least a portion of the process, a dopant element that acts as a sinter retardant in the metal. In preferred examples, the metallic powder is Ta or Nb powder produced by the reduction of a Ta or Nb oxide and the dopant is boron, nitrogen, or phosphorous.

A system for producing a magnesium chloride aqueous solution includes a crystallization unit configured to generate reaction slurry in which particles of magnesium hydroxide are dispersed by adding a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution to water to be treated, a precipitation unit configured to store reaction slurry, precipitate particles and separate the reaction slurry into recovered slurry and a separated liquid, a removal unit configured to remove divalent cations from the water to be treated or the separated liquid to generate a reaction liquid, an acid-alkali generation unit configured to generate a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and hydrochloric acid from the reaction liquid, and a reaction unit configured to generate a magnesium chloride aqueous solution by adding hydrochloric acid to the recovered slurry. The acid-alkali generation unit has a main body section configured to generate a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and hydrochloric acid from the reaction liquid.

A system for producing a magnesium chloride aqueous solution includes a crystallization unit configured to generate reaction slurry in which particles of magnesium hydroxide are dispersed by adding a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution to water to be treated, a precipitation unit configured to store reaction slurry, precipitate particles and separate the reaction slurry into recovered slurry and a separated liquid, a removal unit configured to remove divalent cations from the water to be treated or the separated liquid to generate a reaction liquid, an acid-alkali generation unit configured to generate a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and hydrochloric acid from the reaction liquid, and a reaction unit configured to generate a magnesium chloride aqueous solution by adding hydrochloric acid to the recovered slurry. The acid-alkali generation unit has a main body section configured to generate a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution and hydrochloric acid from the reaction liquid.