METHOD OF PREPARING MELT OR ELECTROLYTE CONTAINING MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE FROM MAGNESIUM HYDROCHLORIDE, AND MAGNESIUM METAL PRODUCTION Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: production of inorganic compounds. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to anhydrous magnesium chloride-containing melt or electrolyte from hydrated magnesium chloride and production of magnesium metal with no essential magnesium oxide formation. Hydrated magnesium chloride is fed into melting furnace containing molten electrolyte from electrolytic cell maintaining temperature within a range of 450-650 C and, simultaneously, gas containing anhydrous hydrogen chloride is fed with intake of 2 mol HCl per 1 mol of MgCl₂ formed from hydrated salt. Melt is agitated to maintain MgO in suspended state necessary for dehydrating MgCl₂ and ensuring its reaction with MgO until concentration of the latter no higher than 0.2% for 100% MgCl₂ is attained. Resultant anhydrous magnesium chloride-enriched melt can be pumped through into at least one electrolytic cell for electrolytic magnesium production. EFFECT: minimized graphite electrode consumption and essentially reduced slag formation in cell. 15 cl, 1 dwg, 8 tbl, 2 ex