Process for producing high-purity niobium and tantalum

Abstract

Abstract A process for producing high-purity niobium and tantalum wherein the oxide of the metal is intimately mixed with carbon, e.g., fine graphite, in an amount such that the oxygen is present in a slight excess beyond the quantity of carbon required to react stoichiometrically with the metal oxide. In the first stage, the mixture is subjected to a high vacuum at the order of 10 4 torr. at a temperature of about 1,800* C. to carry out an initial reduction, the reduced material containing about 500 to 10,000 parts per million (p.p.m.) of oxygen. In an intermediate stage, the partly reduced product is combined with finely divided carbon pyrolytically precipitated from a hydrocarbon in a retort permeable to hydrogen (at elevated temperature), so that the carbon is uniformly distributed over the surface of the partly reduced product. In the second state, the mixture of the partially reduced product and the finely divided pyrolytically precipitated carbon is subjected to a temperature below to 2,000* C. and nevertheless sufficient to effect a final reduction. Preferably the latter temperature is about 1,700* C. The resulting high-purity metal (i.e., tantalum or niobium), may be used in electrolytic capacitors.

Inventors

• 👤 Attilio Restelli

Bibliographic Details