Method and apparatus for separation of

Claim 1

IN THE METHOD OF SEPARATING A COMPONENT OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF METALS OR ALLOYS OF METALS FROM A LIQUID MOLTEN METALLIC BODY OF MOLTEN METALLIC WHICH COMPRISES MAINTAINING A BODY OF MOLTEN METALLIC LIQUID LIKE THAT TO BE TREATED IN A COOLING ZONE, SAID BODY BEING SEPARATED GENERALLY INTO TWO SUPERPOSED LAYERS, THE UPPER LAYER BEING RELATIVELY SHALLOW AND CONSISTING CHIEFLY OF THE COMPONENT TO BE RECOVERED AND THE LOWER LAYER BEING RELATIVELY DEEP AND CONSISTING CHIEFLY OF THE REMAINDER OF THE MOLTEN METALLIC LIQUID, PASSING THE BODY OF MOLTEN MATALLIC LIQUID TO BE TREATED INTO THE BODY OF MOLTEN METALLIC LIQUID IN THE COOLING ZONE, COOLING THE MOLTEN METALLIC BODY TO A TEMPERATURE NOT LOWER THAN THAT AT WHICH THE COMPONENT SEPARATES OUT IN SOLID FORM, PASSING THE BODY OF MOLTEN METALLIC LIQUID THUS PARTIALLY COOLED INTO A SECOND COOLING ZONE, MOVING A COOLING SURFACE THROUGH THE MOLTEN METALLIC BODY IN THE SECOND COOLING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE DESIRED COMPONENT SEPARATES OUT AND ADHERES THERETO IN SOLID FORM, WITHDRAWING FROM THE SECOND COOLING ZONE LIQUID FROM THE MOLTEN METALLIC BODY THUS DENUDED OF SAID COMPONENT, REMOVING SAID COMPONENT FROM THE MOVING SURFACE AND PASSING IT INTO THE LIQUID MOLTEN METALLIC BODY IN THE FIRST COOLING ZONE FOR THE ENRICHMENT OF THE MOLTEN METALLIC BODY THEREIN TO THE POINT WHERE SAID COMPONENT SEPARATES OUT AND RISES TO THE TOP OF THE REMAINDER OF THE A SUPERNATANT OVERLYING LIQUID LAYER OF SAID COMPONENT AND AN UNDERLYING LIQUID LAYER OF THE REMAINDER OF THE MOLTEN METALLIC BODY STILL CONTAINING SOME OF SAID COMPONENT, CONTINUING TO PASS LIQUID FROM THE UNDERLYING LAYER INTO THE SECOND COOLING ZONE FOR TREATMENT WITH SAID MOVING COOLING SURFACE, AND REMOVING MOLTEN COMPONENT FROM THE SUPERNATANT LIQUID LAYER IN THE FIRST COOLING ZONE.