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Recovering clean metal and particulates from metal matrix composites

  • US 5,080,715 A
  • Filed: 11/05/1990
  • Issued: 01/14/1992
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1990
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A process for recovering substantially pure aluminum or aluminum alloy from an aluminum matrix composite containing solid reinforcing particles, comprising the steps of:

  • (a) providing a melt of the aluminum matrix composite in a treatment vessel,(b) heating the melt in the vessel to maintain a temperature in the range of 700°

    -750°

    C.,(c) mixing the melt with a vaned rotary impeller,(d) treating the melt while mixing firstly under vortex-forming conditions by adding afluxing salt to the melt and injecting a gas through a gas outlet beneath the surface of the melt and near the rotating impeller whereby the salt is rapidly mixed with the melt and the inert gas, providing a uniform distribution through the melt of gas bubbles each surrounded by a layer of liquid salt,(e) treating the mixture from part (d) by secondly mixing while operating the impeller at a higher differential velocity between the impeller and the melt than the differential velocity of the first mixing to thereby cause collisions between the salt coated bubbles and wetted reinforcing particles such as to de-wet the reinforcing particles and cause the reinforcing particles and salt flux to rise to the surface of the melt in the form of a layer of dry powder and(f) recovering a melt of substantially pure aluminum or aluminum alloy.

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