Patent ID: 9150426
Filing Date: 2015-10-06
Classification: C01G,C03C,C22B,F27B,F27D,H05B,Y02P,Y02W

Abstract:
1. A reactor structure comprising a flow-through reactor for forming a purified sodium tungstate salt phase and separating the salt phase from a glass flux phase, the reactor structure comprising: (a) an induction coil and a reactor vessel, the reactor vessel free of electrical heating positioned in the interior of the induction coil, the reactor vessel having a stand pipe used to control flow-through reaction time by accumulating and then permitting a flow of the purified sodium tungstate, the stand pipe having a circular diameter of about 1 to about 10 centimeters; (b) a heating component consisting of a conductive graphite or graphite composite reactor core positioned within the reactor vessel, the conductive reactor core comprising a top portion and extending downward from the top portion, a substantially cylindrical wall defining an internal void volume, the conductive reactor core structure having a height of about 20 to about 200 centimeters and an internal space having a radius of about 25 to about 130 centimeters, the downwardly extending cylindrical walls having an annular thickness of about 2 to about 10 centimeters; (c) the reactor structure comprises a reactor-flow space positioned between the reactor core and the interior surface of the reactor vessel and the reactor-flow space having an annular thickness of about 2 to about 10 centimeters and is less than 10% of the outside diameter of the vessel; and (d) a charge of reagents comprising a source of tungsten comprising an ore having a particle size of about 10 to 300 microns and an alkali metal metalate in particulate form at the top of the reactor vessel; wherein the charge of reagents and the reactor vessel are inductively heated by the conductive reactor core with power from the induction coil to a temperature greater than about 700° C. sufficient to produce an alkaline micro-corrosion of the source of tungsten resulting in a liquid glass flux phase separate from a phase comprising greater than 90% purified liquid sodium tungstate salt, substantially free of soluble sulfur that flows through the reactor and exits the reactor vessel.