Purification of gallium by halogenation and electrolysis

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING HIGHLY PURE GALLIUM METAL FROM IMPURE GALLIUM METAL CONTAINING UP TO 1% OF IMPURITIES COMPRISED OF ZINC, LEAD, ALUMINUM, COPPER AND VANADIUM, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) PASSING A STREAM OF AN ANHYDROUS GASEOUS HALOGEN INTO A MOLTEN BATH OF THE IMPURE GALLIUM METAL, SAID GASEOUS HALOGEN BEING ADDED IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS TO CONVERT IMPURE GALLIUM METAL INTO A LIQUID GALLIUM DIHALIDE, THE AMOUNT OF GALLIUM DIHALIDE CONVERTED BEING WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1-15% OF THE INITIAL IMPURE GALLIUM METAL, WHEREBY THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE IMPURITIES PRESENT IN SAID INITAL IMPURE GALLIUM METAL IS TRANSFERRED TO SAID LIQUID GALLIUM DIHALIDE; (B) REMOVING THE IMPURITY-LADEN LIQUID GALLIUM DIHALIDE FROM THE REMAINING MOLTEN BATH OF GALLIUM; (C) PASSING SUFFICIENT GASEOUS HALOGEN THROUGHT THE REMAINING MOLTEN GALLIUM METAL TO CONVERT ALL OF SAID MOLTEN GALLIUM INTO A PURIFIED GALLIUM DIHALIDE; (D) PASSING ADDITIONAL AND SUFFICIENT GASEOUS HALOGEN INTO SAID PURIFIED GALLIUM DIHALIDE TO CONVERT ALL OF THE PURIFIED GALLIUM HALIDE INTO GALLIUM TRIHALIDE; (E) DISTILLING SAID GALLIUM TRIHALIDE UNDER AN HALOGEN ATMOSPHERE TO OBTAIN FURTHER PURSIFIED GASEOUS GALLIUM TRIHALIDE; AND (F) CONDENSING THE FURTHER PURIFIED GASEOUS GALLIUM TRIHALIDE, AND CONVERTING THE SAME TO METALLIC GALLIUM, THEREBY OBTAINING A METALLIC GALLIUM, THE IMPURITY CONTENT OF WHICH IS IN THE ORDER OF 10-**5 TO 10-**7 PARTS BY WEIGHT PER PART OF GALLIUM METAL.