The invention relates to a method for extracting metal from metal-containing raw material in a batch process by using a direct current electric arc furnace (100) having one or more than one top electrode (125) and at least one bottom electrode (115), wherein the method comprises the following steps: adding the metal-containing raw material to the furnace (100), thereby obtaining a loaded bath, moving the top electrode(s) (125) onto the raw material, heating the loaded bath in a heating step by applying direct current through the top electrode(s) to provide an arc to melt the raw material, thereby obtaining molten metal (202), wherein an average voltage during the heating step is from 20 V to 110 V, and forming solid metal from the molten metal (202). The invention further relates to a direct current electric arc furnace, a system comprising a direct current electric arc furnace, and a solid metal obtainable by the method.

The disclosure is directed to a method of forming high-aspect-ratio metallic glass articles that are substantially free of defects and cosmetic flaws by means of rapid capacitive discharge forming. Metallic glass alloys that are stable against crystallization for at least 100 ms at temperatures where the viscosity is in the range of 10.sup.0 to 10.sup.4 Pa-s are considered as suitable for forming such high-aspect-ratio articles.

The disclosure is directed to a method of forming high-aspect-ratio metallic glass articles that are substantially free of defects and cosmetic flaws by means of rapid capacitive discharge forming. Metallic glass alloys that are stable against crystallization for at least 100 ms at temperatures where the viscosity is in the range of 10.sup.0 to 10.sup.4 Pa-s are considered as suitable for forming such high-aspect-ratio articles.

A method of forming a metal alloy. The method comprises forming a metal oxide precursor and conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor in a molten salt electrolyte to form a metal alloy. In an additional method, a metal oxide precursor is formed. The metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in an electrochemical cell that comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte. The metal is reacted with a metal of the working electrode to form a metal alloy. In another method, a metal oxide precursor is formed on a base material. The base material is introduced into a molten salt electrolyte of an electrochemical cell and the metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in the electrochemical cell. The metal is reacted with the base material to form a metal alloy on the base material.

A method of forming a metal alloy. The method comprises forming a metal oxide precursor and conducting cathodic polarization of the metal oxide precursor in a molten salt electrolyte to form a metal alloy. In an additional method, a metal oxide precursor is formed. The metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in an electrochemical cell that comprises a working electrode, a counter electrode, and an electrolyte. The metal is reacted with a metal of the working electrode to form a metal alloy. In another method, a metal oxide precursor is formed on a base material. The base material is introduced into a molten salt electrolyte of an electrochemical cell and the metal oxide precursor is reduced to a metal in the electrochemical cell. The metal is reacted with the base material to form a metal alloy on the base material.

A method and apparatus for step-by-step retrieving valuable metals from waste printed circuit board particles. Many kinds of metals, most existing in form of elementary substance or alloy, are contained in the waste printed circuit boards. Molten metals are separated selectively by supergravity separation at different temperatures to achieve the step-by-step recovery. Tin-based alloys, lead-based alloy, zinc aluminum alloy, crude copper and precious-metal-enriched residues with different metal contents are separated out and collected on the condition of different temperatures (T=200300 C., 330430 C., 700900 C., 11001300 C.) and controlling the gravity coefficient (G=501000) and separation time (t=220 min) etc. Different metals or alloys can be separated quickly and efficiently and the residue concentration of precious metals can be obtained. The process is simple and low cost to provide an efficient way to recovery the enrichment of valuable metals from electronic wastes.

A method and apparatus for step-by-step retrieving valuable metals from waste printed circuit board particles. Many kinds of metals, most existing in form of elementary substance or alloy, are contained in the waste printed circuit boards. Molten metals are separated selectively by supergravity separation at different temperatures to achieve the step-by-step recovery. Tin-based alloys, lead-based alloy, zinc aluminum alloy, crude copper and precious-metal-enriched residues with different metal contents are separated out and collected on the condition of different temperatures (T=200300 C., 330430 C., 700900 C., 11001300 C.) and controlling the gravity coefficient (G=501000) and separation time (t=220 min) etc. Different metals or alloys can be separated quickly and efficiently and the residue concentration of precious metals can be obtained. The process is simple and low cost to provide an efficient way to recovery the enrichment of valuable metals from electronic wastes.

Refined niobium-based ferroalloys are provided by removing lead and other impurities therefrom by a process comprising charging niobium ore concentrate and/or niobium oxide or a mixture of niobium oxides to a metallothermic reaction chamber, admixing the ore concentrate and/or niobium oxide with a reducing agent, initiating a metallothermic reaction, under reduced pressure; and allowing the reaction product to solidify and cool; crushing the reaction product or crushing the niobium-based ferroalloy previously reduced in open air, and charging the crushed product to a melting crucible within a vacuum induction melting furnace, lowering the pressure within the furnace to below 1 mbar, and melting the crushed product while vaporizing the impurities contained therein.

Refined niobium-based ferroalloys are provided by removing lead and other impurities therefrom by a process comprising charging niobium ore concentrate and/or niobium oxide or a mixture of niobium oxides to a metallothermic reaction chamber, admixing the ore concentrate and/or niobium oxide with a reducing agent, initiating a metallothermic reaction, under reduced pressure; and allowing the reaction product to solidify and cool; crushing the reaction product or crushing the niobium-based ferroalloy previously reduced in open air, and charging the crushed product to a melting crucible within a vacuum induction melting furnace, lowering the pressure within the furnace to below 1 mbar, and melting the crushed product while vaporizing the impurities contained therein.

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.