Reduction of Powdered Oxides Injected into Molten Metal Baths through the D. C. Arc Plasma

Abstract

A new method of obtaining metals from their oxides by use of the D. C. arc plasma jet was examined. Decomposed gaseous substance was injected into a molten bath of the constituent metal of each oxide through the plasma flame. More than 90 pct. of NiO could be decomposed and recovered as metallic nickel by this method with Ar plasma. Aluminum could not be obtained, however, because of the stable oxide films formed on the surface of the bath. TiO₂ was reduced merely to its suboxides due to the great affinity of titanium to oxygen. The results indicate that the possibility of the reduction is affected by the affinity of each metal to oxygen at the surface temperature of the metal bath.