Reduction device using liquid metal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017349969-A1
Application number	US-201515537025-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 18, 2015
Priority date	Dec 19, 2014
Publication date	Dec 7, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to 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

1 . A reduction device using a liquid metal, comprising:
a storage unit in which the liquid metal is supplied and stored; a reducing agent block positioned in the storage unit; and 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.

2 . The reduction device of claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent block is sublimated by the liquid metal, to form a reducing agent particle, and the reducing agent particle flows to the reduction unit.

3 . The reduction device of claim 2 , wherein the reduction device further comprises a dispersion plate positioned between the storage unit and the reduction unit.

4 . The reduction device of claim 3 , wherein the reduction device further comprises a refrigerant supply unit supplying a refrigerant to the reducing agent block in the storage unit and a first controller controlling the refrigerant supply unit.

5 . The reduction device of claim 4 , further comprising a gas supply unit supplying an inactive gas to the storage unit and a second controller controlling the gas supply unit.

6 . The reduction device of claim 5 , wherein an amount of reducing agents passing through the dispersion plate is controlled by the first and second controllers.

7 . The reduction device of claim 6 , wherein the reduction reaction of the material to be reduced is controlled by the amount of the reducing agent particles.

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

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

10 . The reduction device of claim 1 , wherein the reducing agent block is a reservoir for the reducing agent, wherein the reservoir comprises a reservoir in the form of a mesh and a particulated reducing agent which the reservoir receives.

11 . The reduction device of claim 7 , wherein the reduction device further comprises a liquid metal keeping unit connected to a side of the storage unit.

12 . The reduction device of claim 11 , wherein the liquid metal in the storage unit is discharged into the liquid metal keeping unit when a temperature inside the storage unit is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature.

13 . The reduction device of claim 12 , wherein the liquid metal discharged from the storage unit into the liquid metal keeping unit is reheated to a temperature equal to or higher than a melting temperature of the liquid metal and re-supplied to the storage unit.

Assignees

• Korea Inst Ind Tech

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C22B25/02

  by dry processes · CPC title

• C22B13/00

  Obtaining lead · 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

• C22B30/06

  Obtaining bismuth · CPC title

• C22B5/12 Primary

  by gases · CPC title