TANTALUM METAL PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 2003 - IPC

FIELD: nonferrous metallurgy. SUBSTANCE: process comprises reducing tantalum with the aid of zinc thermal reduction from charge containing tantalum pentachloride and potassium chloride at weight ratio 1:(0.5-1.0), wherein temperature is raised from 370 C to 720 C, followed by recovering tantalum from reduction products by means of vacuum-thermal processing of reaction mass thus obtained. Reduction process is carried out by passing reducing metal (zinc) onto surface of charge continuously or portionwise. In the latter case, amount of reducing agent introduced per each 40-60 C raised temperature within the range 370- 720 C equals 12-17% based on the total amount of added reducing agent. Before vacuum-thermal processing, reaction mass is cooled and processed at initial temperature 500-510 C and initial pressure 0.1-0.01 mm Hg by raising temperature to 1000-1010 C and achieving pressure not exceeding 0.001 mm Hg. Alternatively, vacuum-thermal processing is performed by gradually raising temperature from 720 C to 1000-1010 C at simultaneously gradually reducing pressure from atmospheric to 0.001 mm Hg. EFFECT: enabled environmentally safe production of powdered tantalum with fractional composition and chemical analysis fitting requirements for tantalum materials used in manufacture of structural articles and tantalum condensers. 5 cl, 1 tbl, 2 ex