Recovery of values from aluminum scrap

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING PURE ALUMINUM COMPOUNDS FORM HETEROGENEOUS ALUMINUM SCRAP OF MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITION AND ALLOYING, AND AT THE SAME TIME UTILIZING THE HIGH FREE ENERGY CONTENT OF THE ALUMINUM, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES STIRRING INTIMATELY TOGETHER A QUANTITY OF ALUMINUM SCRAP OF LARGER THAN GRANULAR SIZE AND THICKER THAN FOIL, AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, AND AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM THE MELTING POINT OF ALUMINUM TO THE POINT AT WHICH THE ALUMINUM STARTS TO REACT UPON THE CHARGE, WITH A QUANTITY OF FINELY DIVIDED OXIDE ORES INCLUDING THOSE OF LIGHT METALS, GRINDING AND TABLETTING THE RESULTING MASS, CHARGING THE TABLETS INTO A VACUUM RETORT, AND THEN HEATING THE MATERIAL UNDER VACUUM TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE FUSION POINT OF THE ALUMINATE OF THE LIGHT METAL OF THE OXIDE USED, WHEREUPON A PORTION OF THE LIGHT METAL CONTENT IS VOLATILIZED, AND A RESIDUE IS OBTAINED CONSISTING OF THE ALUMINATE OF A LIGHT METAL IN A STATE FORM WHICH IT MAY BE READILY CONVERTED TO A PURE COMPOUND OF ALUMINUM BY KNOWN LEACHING METHODS, AS BY THE USE OF SODIUM CARBONATE SOLUTION.