The invention relates to a process for selectively and continuously extracting a series of desired species from a matrix, comprising the steps of:—injecting a plasma (310) in an extraction chamber by means of a plasma torch,—continuously monitoring (320) the excited elements extracted from the matrix and contained in the plasma by optical emission spectroscopy, and for each species of the series,—setting a distance (330) between the support and the plasma torch, and the composition of the injected plasma as a function of the monitored excited elements so that only one desired species of the series of species is being extracted from the matrix under molecular form, and—providing (400) a plate in the extraction chamber, exterior to the plasma, causing collection of molecules comprising said desired species by deposition onto the surface of the plate.

Disclosed is a single-chamber furnace for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge including a bath furnace for containing a molten charge up to a determined level, the furnace being equipped with a non-transferred plasma torch for the generation of plasma and a first submerged injector for injecting the plasma below the determined level, the furnace further including an afterburning zone to form an oxidized form of the at least one evaporable metal or metal compound, and a recovery zone for recovering the oxidized form from the gas formed in the afterburning zone, whereby the furnace is further equipped with a second submerged injector for injecting extra gas into the furnace below the determined level. Further disclosed is the use of the furnace and a process for fuming an evaporable metal or metal compound from a metallurgical charge.

The invention comprises a method and apparatus for generating a rare earth from a rare earth oxide, comprising the sequential steps of: (1) reducing temperature about the rare earth oxide to less than zero degrees Celsius; (2) reducing pressure to boil off contaminant water in a powder sample of the rare earth oxide at a molecular escape velocity not disturbing the powdered rare earth oxide; and (3) heating the rare earth oxide to greater than 1000° C. in the presence hydrogen gas while optionally: (1) collecting and determining mass of a water product to determine a consumption mass of the starting hydrogen gas in a main reaction process using the equation RE.sub.2O.sub.3+3H.sub.2.fwdarw.2RE+3H.sub.2O, wherein “RE” comprises at a rare earth and (2) injecting replacement hydrogen gas into the main reaction chamber up to the consumption mass.

Disclosed is a method of fabricating a construction element, the method comprising the manufacturing of a construction element including a slag, wherein the slag is comprising, on a dry basis and whereby the presence of a metal is expressed as the total of the metal present as elemental metal and the presence of the metal in an oxidized state, a) at least 7% wt and at most 49% wt of iron, Fe, b) at most 1.3% wt of copper, Cu, c) at least 24% wt and at most 44% wt of silicon dioxide, SiO.sub.2, d) at least 1.0% wt and at most 20% wt of calcium oxide, CaO, e) at least 0.10% wt and at most 1.50% wt of zinc, Zn, f) at least 0.10% wt and at most 2.5% wt of magnesium oxide, MgO, and g) at most 0.100% wt of lead, Pb. Further disclosed are improved construction elements comprising the slag.

A direct current plasma arc furnace includes a tank having a crucible delimiting a chamber to receive material to be melted and/or treated; refractory walls surrounding the crucible outer surface; a metallic frame covering the refractory walls; and a heating system for heating the received material. The heating system includes two electrodes acting as cathode and anode, respectively, wherein the first electrode is a movable electrode to project vertically into the chamber. The crucible is part of an anode system also having the second electrode and at least one part connecting the crucible and second electrode. The crucible receives and holds material to be melted and/or treated and provides electric conduction for the flow of current to heat the material, such that the voltage potential difference between the cathode and any point of the crucible surface defined to be in contact with the material is the same.

This invention relates generally to novel methods and novel devices for the continuous manufacture of nanoparticles, microparticles and nanoparticle/liquid solution(s). The nanoparticles (and/or micron-sized particles) comprise a variety of possible compositions, sizes and shapes. The particles (e.g., nanoparticles) are caused to be present (e.g., created) in a liquid (e.g., water) by, for example, preferably utilizing at least one adjustable plasma (e.g., created by at least one AC and/or DC power source), which plasma communicates with at least a portion of a surface of the liquid. At least one subsequent and/or substantially simultaneous adjustable electrochemical processing technique is also preferred. Multiple adjustable plasmas and/or adjustable electrochemical processing techniques are preferred. The continuous process causes at least one liquid to flow into, through and out of at least one trough member, such liquid being processed, conditioned and/or effected in said trough member(s). Results include constituents formed in the liquid including micron-sized particles and/or nanoparticles (e.g., metallic-based nanoparticles) of novel size, shape, composition and properties present in a liquid.

The invention concerns a process for the separation of cobalt from lithium present in a charge comprising lithium-ion batteries or related products, comprising the steps of: smelting the charge using a bath furnace equipped with a submerged air-fed plasma torch for injecting plasma gas into the melt; defining and maintaining a bath redox potential where cobalt is reduced to the metallic state and reporting to an alloy phase, and whereby lithium is oxidized as Li.sub.2O and reporting to the slag phase; decanting and separating the phases. It is characterized in that the reduction and oxidizing steps are performed simultaneously. A suitably low cobalt concentration is obtained in the slag.

The present disclosure concerns an apparatus suitable for smelting and separating metals in flexible oxido-reduction conditions. More particularly, it concerns an apparatus for smelting metallurgical charges comprising a bath furnace susceptible to contain a molten charge up to a determined level, characterized in that the furnace is equipped with: at least one non-transfer plasma torch for the generation of first hot gases; at least one oxygas burner for the generation of second hot gasses; and, submerged injectors for injecting said first and second hot gases below said determined level.

This invention relates generally to novel methods and novel devices for the continuous manufacture of nanoparticles, microparticles and nanoparticle/liquid solution(s). The nanoparticles (and/or micron-sized particles) comprise a variety of possible compositions, sizes and shapes. The particles (e.g., nanoparticles) are caused to be present (e.g., created) in a liquid (e.g., water) by, for example, preferably utilizing at least one adjustable plasma (e.g., created by at least one AC and/or DC power source), which plasma communicates with at least a portion of a surface of the liquid. At least one subsequent and/or substantially simultaneous adjustable electrochemical processing technique is also preferred. Multiple adjustable plasmas and/or adjustable electrochemical processing techniques are preferred. The continuous process causes at least one liquid to flow into, through and out of at least one trough member, such liquid being processed, conditioned and/or effected in said trough member(s). Results include constituents formed in the liquid including micron-sized particles and/or nanoparticles (e.g., metallic-based nanoparticles) of novel size, shape, composition and properties present in a liquid.

The invention enables “green” and “conflict-free” acquisition of critical minerals via refinement from aqueous sources. These advantages are impactful in applications including refinement of rare materials such as certain metals, especially metals necessary for production of energy storage devices required to advance environmental goals, such as in the Paris climate agreement. The inventive concepts include economically viable approaches to refinement, as well as economically viable apparatuses. In some approaches, valuable materials such as metals are refined from salts obtained from aqueous sources. Power required to refine materials is provided by renewable energy sources. Real world implementations involve co-locating a dissociative reactor with a geothermal energy plant near an aquifer with salt(s) therein. Refined minerals are produced on site. Practice of the disclosed techniques reduce or eliminate many negative environmental impacts such as those incurred by legacy mining based techniques.