Method for producing substantially pure materials

Claim 1

A method for upgrading the quality of a corresponding filler material comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a parent metal comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tin, zirconium and hafnium adjacent to a corresponding mass of filler material, said corresponding mass of filler material containing at least one impurity which is reducible by the parent metal, so that formation of an oxidation reaction product of the parent metal will occur in a direction towards and into said mass of corresponding filler material; (b) heating said parent metal to a temperature range above its melting point but below the melting point of its oxidation reaction product to form a body of molten parent metal and reacting the molten parent metal with an oxygen-containing vapor-phase oxidant at said temperature to form said oxidation reaction product, and at said temperature maintaining at least a portion of said oxidation reaction product in contact with and extending between said body of molten metal and said oxidant, to draw molten metal through the oxidation reaction product towards the oxidant and towards and into the adjacent mass of corresponding filler material so that fresh oxidation reaction product continues to form within said mass of corresponding filler material at an interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product, and continuing said reacting for a time sufficient to embed at least a portion of said corresponding mass of filler material within said oxidation reaction product to produce a ceramic body comprising an oxide of said parent metal and at least one residual metallic constituent, whereby said at least one impurity is at least partially reduced and is contained in said at least one residual metallic constituent; (c) comminuting said ceramic body; (d) providing at least one leachant capable of dissolving or removing said at least one residual metallic constituent without substantially degrading said oxidation reaction product and embedded filler material in the produced ceramic body and contacting said comminuted ceramic body with said at least one leachant for a time sufficient to remove or dissolve away said at least one residual metallic constituent from said comminuted ceramic body to produce a substantially pure material having a purity which is greater than the purity of said corresponding filler material; (e) recovering said substantially pure material.

Claim 2

A method for upgrading the quality of a corresponding filler material comprising the steps of: (a) positioning a parent metal comprising a material selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, tin, zirconium and hafnium adjacent to a corresponding mass of filler material, said corresponding mass of filler material containing at least one impurity which is reducible by the parent metal, so that formation of an oxidation reaction product of the parent metal will occur in a direction towards and into said mass of corresponding filler material; (b) heating said parent metal to a temperature range above its melting point but below the melting point of its oxidation reaction product to form a body of molten parent metal and reacting the molten parent metal with an oxygen-containing vapor-phase oxidant at said temperature to form said oxidation reaction product, and at said temperature maintaining at least a portion of said oxidation reaction product in contact with and extending between said body of molten metal and said oxidant, to draw molten metal through the oxidation reaction product towards the oxidant and towards and into the adjacent mass of corresponding filler material so that fresh oxidation reaction product continues to form within said mass of corresponding filler material at an interface between the oxidant and previously formed oxidation reaction product, and continuing said reacting for a time sufficient to embed at least a portion of said corresponding mass of filler material within said oxidation reaction product to produce a ceramic body comprising an oxide of said parent metal and at least one residual metallic constituent, whereby said at least one impurity is at least partially reduced and is contained in said at least one residual metallic constituent; (c) comminuting said ceramic body; (d) providing at least one leachant capable of dissolving or removing said at least one residual metallic constituent without substantially degrading said oxidation reaction product and embedded filler material in the produced ceramic body and contacting said comminuted ceramic body with said at least one leachant for a time sufficient to remove or dissolve away said at least one residual metallic constituent from said comminuted ceramic body to produce a substantially pure material having a purity which is greater than the purity of said corresponding filler material; (e) recovering said substantially pure material.