Separation method of W from X-ray targets using the difference of volatilization behavior of W, Mo and Re

Abstract

Minor metals such as tungsten (W), molybdenum (Mo) and rhenium (Re) are necessary for high performance products, and a steady supply of them is very important. These metals are used for the X-ray target of the X-ray computed tomography equipment. In this study, we studied a dry separation method of W from discarded targets using the difference of volatilization behavior of the metal oxides. We obtained a 96% separation rate of W from the target by grinding, oxidation (1073 K, 5 h) and volatilization (1223 K, 5 h).