Method and apparatus for the treatment of aluminum

Claim 2

IN AN APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF MOLTEN ALUMINIUM, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES A CONTAINER FOR SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM HAVING A LINING OF A REFRACTORY, CORROSION-RESISTANT MATERIAL OF RELATIVELY POOR HEAT-CONDUCTING PROPERTIES, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING A PLUG OF SOLID ALUMINUM PASSING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID CONTAINER AND THROUGH SAID LINING, THE INTERIOR END OF SAID PLUG ADAPTED TO BE IN DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE CONTACT WITH CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM, AND THE EXTERIOR END OF SAID PLUG HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED CROSS SECTIONAL AREA ADAPTED FOR DIRECT HEATEXCHANGE WITH A FLUID, AND MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH THE EXTERIOR END OF SAID PLUG FOR PASSING A HEAT EXCHANGE FLUID INTO DIRECT, INTIMATE CONTACT THEREWITH, SAID MEANS ADAPTED TO REMOVE HEAT FROM SAID EXTERIOR END OF SAID PLUG AT A RATE GREATER THAN THE MINUM RATE NECESSARY TO MAINTAIN SAIDPLUG SUBSANTIALLY UNMELTED WHEN THE INTERIOR END OF SAID PLUG IS IN CONTACT WITH CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM.

Claim 3

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM CHLORIDE BY REACTION OF GASEOUS CHLORINE WITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN A REACTOR HAVING A REFRACTORY, CORROSION-RESISTANT LINING OF RELATIVELY POOR HEAT-CONDUCTING PROPERTIES, SAID REACTOR PROVIDED WITH AN ALUMINUM PLUG PASSING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID REACTOR AND THROUGH SAIDLINING INTO DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE CONTACT WITH THE CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM ABD GAVING AN EXTERIOR END PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED CROSS SECTIONAL AREA COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) INTRODUCING GASEOUS CHLORINE INTO SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM BENEATH THE SURFACE THEREOF WITH A PRESSURE DROP IN THE RANGE OF 0.25 TO 50 TIMES THE PRESSURE DROP BETWEEN THE POINT OF CHLORINE INTRODUCTION AND SAID SURFACE OF SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM, (B) REACTION SAID CHLORINE AND SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM TO FORM ALUMINUM CHLORIDE VAPOR, (C) RECOVERINGALUMINUM CHLORIDE FROM THE VAPOR SPACE ABOVE SAID SURFACE OF SAID MOLTEN ALUMINIUM, (D) PASSING A COOLING FLUID INTO DIRECT, INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID EXPANDED EXTERIOR PORTION OF SAID ALUMINIUM PLUG TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF HEAT FROM SAID CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM THROUGH SAID ALUMINUM PLUG, AND (E) MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF SAID COOLING FLUID ACCROSS SAID EXPANDED PORTION OF SAID PLUG AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID PLUG SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT AND TO WITHDRAW AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE HEAT OF REACTION FROM SAID REACTOR.

Claim 4

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ALUMINUM CHLORIDE BY REACTION OF GASEOUS CHLORINE WITH MOLTEN ALUMINUM IN A REACTOR HAVING A REFRACTORY, CORROSION-RESISTANT LINING OF RELATIVELY POOR HEAT-CONDUCTING PROPERTIES, SAID REACTOR PROVIDED WITH AN ALUMINUM PLUG PASSING THROUGH A WALL OF SAID REACTOR AND THROUGH SAIDLINING INTO DIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE CONTACT WITH THE CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM ABD GAVING AN EXTERIOR END PORTION OF SUBSTANTIALLY EXPANDED CROSS SECTIONAL AREA COMPRISING THE STEPS OF (A) INTRODUCING GASEOUS CHLORINE INTO SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM BENEATH THE SURFACE THEREOF WITH A PRESSURE DROP IN THE RANGE OF 0.25 TO 50 TIMES THE PRESSURE DROP BETWEEN THE POINT OF CHLORINE INTRODUCTION AND SAID SURFACE OF SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM, (B) REACTION SAID CHLORINE AND SAID MOLTEN ALUMINUM TO FORM ALUMINUM CHLORIDE VAPOR, (C) RECOVERINGALUMINUM CHLORIDE FROM THE VAPOR SPACE ABOVE SAID SURFACE OF SAID MOLTEN ALUMINIUM, (D) PASSING A COOLING FLUID INTO DIRECT, INTIMATE CONTACT WITH SAID EXPANDED EXTERIOR PORTION OF SAID ALUMINIUM PLUG TO EFFECT SUBSTANTIAL WITHDRAWAL OF HEAT FROM SAID CONTAINED MOLTEN ALUMINUM THROUGH SAID ALUMINUM PLUG, AND (E) MAINTAINING THE FLOW OF SAID COOLING FLUID ACCROSS SAID EXPANDED PORTION OF SAID PLUG AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN SAID PLUG SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT AND TO WITHDRAW AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE HEAT OF REACTION FROM SAID REACTOR.