Reduction device using liquid metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10689729-B2
Application number	US-201515537025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A reduction device using a liquid metal, which can improve the oxidation reaction of a reducing agent for reducing a material to be reduced using a liquid metal, while simultaneously effectively controlling the same. The reduction device according to the present invention comprises: a storage unit in which the liquid metal is supplied and stored; a reducing agent positioned in the storage unit; a reduction unit positioned on a side of the storage unit, which receives a material to be reduced and enables fluid communication with the storage unit; and a liquid metal storage unit. According to the present invention, a reducing agent, which has strong reducing ability, is sublimated using a liquid metal, thereby further improving the reduction capability, and the same is also controlled precisely, thereby removing restrictions on use resulting from the explosive reaction of the reducing agent and guaranteeing efficient operation.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for reducing a material using a liquid metal, comprising:
a storage unit containing the liquid metal;
a reducing agent block positioned in the storage unit; and
a reduction unit positioned on a side of the storage unit in fluid communication with the storage unit, which receives a material to be reduced;
wherein the reducing agent, after sublimation, flows to the reduction unit via fluid communication;
wherein the liquid metal is different from the reducing agent; and
wherein the reduction device further comprises a dispersion plate positioned between the storage unit and the reduction unit.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reduction device further comprises a refrigerant supply unit configured to supply a refrigerant to the reducing agent block in the storage unit and a first controller controlling a flow of refrigerant from the refrigerant supply unit to the storage unit based on information received from at least one of a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.

3. The device of claim 2 , further comprising a gas supply unit supplying an inactive gas to the storage unit and a second controller controlling the flow of inactive gas from the gas supply unit to the storage unit based on information received from at least one of a temperature sensor or a pressure sensor.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein an amount of reducing agent particles passing through the dispersion plate is controlled by the first and second controllers.

5. The device of claim 4 , wherein a reduction reaction of the material to be reduced is controlled by the amount of the reducing agent particles.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent block is a magnesium block.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the liquid metal is one selected from the group consisting of tin, bismuth, lead, and gallium.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent block is a reservoir for the reducing agent, wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir comprising a mesh and a particulated reducing agent which the reservoir receives.

9. The device of claim 5 , wherein the reduction device further comprises a liquid metal storage unit connected to a side of the storage unit.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Ind Tech

Inventors

• Lee Uen Do
• Yang Won
• Bang Byung Ryeul
• Jeong Soo Hwa
• Moon Ji Hong

Classifications

• Y02W30/50

  Reuse, recycling or recovery technologies · CPC title

• C22B58/00

  Obtaining gallium or indium {(treatment or purification of solutions by liquid-liquid extraction, by ion-exchange or by adsorption C22B3/20)} · CPC title

• C22B5/12 Primary

  by gases · CPC title

• C22B25/02

  by dry processes · CPC title

• C22B30/06

  Obtaining bismuth · CPC title