Producing High-Purity Lead by a Comprehensive Refining Method
Abstract
The thermodynamics of redox reactions of the formation of lead oxide and impurity oxides during filtration in an argon atmosphere and Pb distillation under vacuum (~0.5 Pa) was studied. The strength of impurity oxides relative to lead oxide during oxidizing refining and distillation of lead was estimated by the absolute value of the change in Gibbs free energy. A comprehensive distillation refining process of lead was investigated, which includes the stages, such as filtration (oxidizing refining) in an argon atmosphere and lead purification from non-volatile and volatile impurities by evaporation of the metal in a vacuum with condensation of the vapor into a hot liquid phase (Tcond. ≈ 0.85 Tevap.). Experimental results of the application of a comprehensive process for obtaining high-purity lead of the C000 grade with a total content of majority impurities (in the amount) of 99.9996 mass % are presented.
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