METHOD FOR PREPARING METAL NEODYMIUM FROM ITS OXIDE Russian patent published in 2017 - IPC C22B59/00 C22B5/10 

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: method involves mixing neodymium oxide with graphite powder followed by pressing the produced mixture into briquettes and heating the produced briquettes in vacuum or vacuum-hydrogen furnace for reduction of oxide. The reduction is carried out in four stages: the first stage briquettes are heated in vacuum of 1-10 Pa to a temperature of 1000°C. At the second stage heating is performed under argon atmosphere to temperature 1750-1900°C with holding at this temperature for 120-180 min; at the third stage heating is performed at 500…600°C for 120…420 min in hydrogen containing atmosphere. At the fourth stage heating is carried out in vacuum of 1-10 Pa to temperature from 900-1000°C with holding at this temperature for 60-180 min followed by cooling to room temperature. Each subsequent stage is carried out immediately after completion of the previous stage with appropriate heating or cooling.

EFFECT: preparation of neodymium from oxide without contamination with oxygen and carbon.

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