High quality titanium ingot is produced by using recovered titanium scrap as a raw material and adding additives. Scrap, each having individual information of identification and process profile information, is passed through automatic reading means to obtain the information and to store it in a data server. A calculating means calculates a combination of the scrap, titanium sponge and additives and feed rate of each of them so as to satisfy chemical composition and producing rate of a target ingot product using the individual identification pieces of information stored in the data server, during a beginning step of the ingot production, and transmits electrical signals corresponding to calculated results of the combination and the feed rates from the calculating means to a feed rate controlling means of each feed means of the titanium scrap, titanium sponge, and additives and then starting supply of them, and detecting means equipped at an extracting part of the ingot product reads actual producing rate of the ingot product, after the beginning step of the ingot production. The calculating means controls feed rate of the titanium scrap, titanium sponge, and/or additives based on the actual producing rate.

A method for separating metal components from a treatment material containing a silicate and metal elements includes: a reaction step of reacting the treatment material and a molten alkali hydroxide in which bubbles due to water vapor derived from water are generated by heating a hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal and the water in a state where the hydroxide and the water coexist, to obtain a reaction product; and a first precipitation step of dissolving the reaction product of the treatment material and the molten alkali hydroxide after the reaction step in water, thereby generating a precipitate containing the metal elements.

A method for separating metal components from a treatment material containing a silicate and metal elements includes: a reaction step of reacting the treatment material and a molten alkali hydroxide in which bubbles due to water vapor derived from water are generated by heating a hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal and the water in a state where the hydroxide and the water coexist, to obtain a reaction product; and a first precipitation step of dissolving the reaction product of the treatment material and the molten alkali hydroxide after the reaction step in water, thereby generating a precipitate containing the metal elements.

A method for separating metal components from a treatment material containing a silicate and metal elements includes: a reaction step of reacting the treatment material and a molten alkali hydroxide in which bubbles due to water vapor derived from water are generated by heating a hydroxide of an alkali metal or an alkaline-earth metal and the water in a state where the hydroxide and the water coexist, to obtain a reaction product; and a first precipitation step of dissolving the reaction product of the treatment material and the molten alkali hydroxide after the reaction step in water, thereby generating a precipitate containing the metal elements.

The invention provides a method for the production of a metal, the method comprising the steps of mixing an oxide of the metal with a reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof in the presence of water and/or an organic solvent, heating the mixture of oxide and reducing agent, leaching the resulting material with water; and washing the leached material with a dilute aqueous acid. Typically, the metal is a transition or rare earth metal, the oxide of the metal is an oxide of a transition or rare earth metal, and the reducing agent is selected from calcium or magnesium or the hydrides of calcium and magnesium. The metal is generally obtained at a purity of around 98.5-99.1%, and the method is much quicker than the methods of the prior art and has a much lower carbon footprint, thereby providing an option which is more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and accommodative for industries. Particularly good results are observed in the production of transition metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium.

The invention provides a method for the production of a metal, the method comprising the steps of mixing an oxide of the metal with a reducing agent comprising a Group II metal or a hydride thereof in the presence of water and/or an organic solvent, heating the mixture of oxide and reducing agent, leaching the resulting material with water; and washing the leached material with a dilute aqueous acid. Typically, the metal is a transition or rare earth metal, the oxide of the metal is an oxide of a transition or rare earth metal, and the reducing agent is selected from calcium or magnesium or the hydrides of calcium and magnesium. The metal is generally obtained at a purity of around 98.5-99.1%, and the method is much quicker than the methods of the prior art and has a much lower carbon footprint, thereby providing an option which is more sustainable, environmentally friendly, and accommodative for industries. Particularly good results are observed in the production of transition metals such as titanium, tantalum and niobium.

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.