Continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum material

Abstract

A continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials comprises a working unit and a purification unit. The working unit comprises a plurality of segregation stations and a plurality of stripping stations which are arranged in a staggered mode to form a circulating working path, and each segregation station is located between two adjacent stripping stations. The purification unit comprises a plurality of crystallizers which can be driven to move along the circulating working path, and each crystallizer can be controlled to sequentially stay and leave at the segregation stations and the stripping stations. Each crystallizer can be used for separating out high-purity aluminum solidification crystals on the surface in the segregation station, rapidly heating and stripping in the stripping station, and continuously repeating the previous steps until the stripping station is filled with purified high-purity aluminum soup, so as to continuously and repeatedly carry out crystallization and stripping procedures.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a purification system, and particularly to a continuous purification system capable of obtaining high-purity aluminum materials of 5N grade. Background Art

[0002] Currently, the purity of aluminum obtained by electrolysis is approximately 98-99%. However, in order to pursue specific physical properties, the demand for high-purity aluminum of 99.99% (4N grade) or even 99.999% (5N grade) is increasing continuously. In view of this, many methods for purifying aluminum materials have been continuously developed and put on the market. Among them, segregation purification is one of the purification methods. The segregation purification method mainly places a cooled crystallizer in a crucible filled with molten aluminum, so that the contact interface between the crystallizer and the molten aluminum generates crystallization due to the temperature dropping below the melting point. Since the migration ability and separation ability of aluminum and other impurities in the solid phase and the liquid phase are different (i.e., having different distribution coefficients), by utilizing the different diffusion tendencies of aluminum and impurities in the solid phase / liquid phase, the impurities can be gradually separated during the above-mentioned crystallization and solidification process, thereby forming a high-purity aluminum layer on the crystallizer. When the high-purity aluminum layer attached to the crystallizer thickens to a certain extent, the crystallizer needs to be transferred to an external melting furnace, so that the high-purity aluminum layer melts and detaches from the crystallizer, and is additionally cast into aluminum ingots.

[0003] In the above-mentioned process, when the high-purity aluminum layer thickens to a certain extent, the process needs to be interrupted, and the crystallizer needs to be transferred to an external melting furnace. After the high-purity aluminum layer on the crystallizer is remelted and discharged, the crystallizer can be transferred back to the crucible again, resulting in low output and efficiency of the process and room for improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The object of the present invention is to provide a continuous purification system capable of improving the output and process efficiency.

[0005] The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials of the present invention, the continuous purification system includes a working unit and a purification unit. The working unit includes a plurality of segregation stations and a plurality of discharging stations arranged alternately with each other to form a circulating working path. Each segregation station is located between two adjacent discharging stations. The purification unit includes a plurality of crystallizers that can be driven to move along the circulating working path. Each crystallizer can be controlled to stay at and leave the plurality of segregation stations and the plurality of discharging stations in sequence.

[0006] Preferably, in the above-mentioned continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials, the continuous purification system further includes at least one fine crystal station adjacent to the discharging station. The fine crystal station includes a refining device capable of applying ultrasonic vibration.

[0007] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the refining device of the fine crystal station includes a power supply and a vibrating member electrically connected to the power supply.

[0008] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the vibrating member of the refining device is a piezoelectric ceramic sheet that can be driven by electricity to vibrate.

[0009] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the fine crystal station further includes a vacuum chamber for accommodating the refining device.

[0010] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the working unit further includes an auxiliary device, which is arranged corresponding to the blanking station and is used for quickly heating the purification unit.

[0011] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the auxiliary device is a pulse voltage generator or a cycle induction heater.

[0012] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the auxiliary device is a pulse voltage generator, which includes a pulse power supply that can be controlled to generate a pulse current, a first electrode electrically connected to the pulse power supply, and a second electrode electrically connected to the pulse power supply.

[0013] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, the purification unit further includes a turntable mechanism located relatively above the segregation station and the blanking station and connected to the crystallizer. The turntable mechanism can be controlled to rotate to drive the crystallizer to move along the cyclic working path, and the turntable mechanism can be controlled to move up and down to drive the crystallizer to stay or leave the segregation station and the blanking station.

[0014] Preferably, in the continuous purification system of the foregoing high-purity aluminum material, each crystallizer of the purification unit has a hollow outer tube, an inner tube coaxially extending in the outer tube, a driving member that can drive the outer tube to rotate relative to the inner tube, and a temperature equalizing member for controlling the flow of the cooling fluid between the outer tube and the inner tube.

[0015] The beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: The crystallizer can move along the cyclic working path and stay and leave the segregation station and the blanking station in turn. In this way, each crystallizer can first precipitate high-purity aluminum solidification crystals on the surface in the segregation station, and then rapidly heat up and blank in the blanking station. Then, the above steps are continuously repeated until the blanking station is filled with purified high-purity aluminum soup. By continuously circulating the crystallizer along the working cyclic path, the processes of crystallization and blanking can be continuously and repeatedly carried out, overcoming the problems that the traditional process needs to continuously suspend the process and transfer to a distant place, and the design of multiple processes carried out simultaneously can also greatly improve the output and overall efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram, which is an embodiment of the continuous purification system of high-purity aluminum materials of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 is a side sectional view, showing the crystallizer in the above embodiment;

[0018] Figure 3 is a flowchart, showing the purification method of the above embodiment;

[0019] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram, showing the operation steps of the purification method;

[0020] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram, showing the cyclic steps of the purification method;

[0021] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram, showing the grain refinement steps of the purification method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0022] The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0023] Refer to Figure 1 , an embodiment of the continuous purification system of high-purity aluminum materials of the present invention, includes a working unit 1, a purification unit 2 located above the working unit 1, and two grain refinement stations 3 adjacent to the working unit 1 ( Figure 1As shown in (). The working unit 1 includes two segregation stations 11, two blanking stations 12 arranged in an alternating and annular pattern with the segregation stations 11, and two auxiliary devices 13 respectively corresponding to the blanking stations 12. The segregation stations 11 and the blanking stations 12 form an annular circulating working path A, and each segregation station 11 is located between two adjacent blanking stations 12. Each auxiliary device 13 is a pulse voltage generator, and thus includes a pulse power supply 131 capable of generating a controlled pulse current, a first electrode 132 electrically connected to the pulse power supply 131, and a second electrode 133 electrically connected to the pulse power supply 131. However, the auxiliary device 13 can also be a cycle induction heater as required.

[0024] The purification unit 2 includes a turntable mechanism 21 that can be controlled to move up and down and rotate, and four crystallizers 22 arranged in an annular and spaced pattern on the turntable mechanism 21. The turntable mechanism 21 is located relatively above the segregation station 11 and the blanking station 12, and can be controlled to drive the crystallizers 22 to rotate along the circulating working path A.

[0025] It can be understood that the numbers of the segregation stations 11, the blanking stations 12, the auxiliary devices 13, and the crystallizers 22 can be correspondingly increased according to needs.

[0026] Refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , each crystallizer 22 extends downward from the turntable mechanism 21, and has a hollow outer tube 221, an inner tube 223 coaxially extending in the outer tube 221, a driving member 224 capable of driving the outer tube 221 to rotate relative to the inner tube 223, and a temperature equalizing member 225 for controlling the flow of cooling fluid between the outer tube 221 and the inner tube 223. It should be noted that Figure 1 For the convenience of understanding the relationship between the components, the outer shapes of the auxiliary device 13 and the crystallizer 22 are simplified and shown in a schematic manner. The temperature equalizing member 225 can input the cooling fluid into the inner tube 223, enter the outer tube 221 from the inner tube 223, and finally overflow from the outer tube 221 to the outside. In this embodiment, the cooling fluid can be ordinary air, but of course, it can also be other gases as required.

[0027] Each fine crystal station 3 includes a vacuum chamber 31 and a refining device 32 located in the vacuum chamber 31 ( Figure 1 Only one of them is shown for simplicity in ). The refining device 32 has a power supply 321 and a vibrating member 322 electrically connected to the power supply 321. In this embodiment, the vibrating member 322 is a piezoelectric ceramic sheet that can be driven by electricity to generate ultrasonic vibration.

[0028] Refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , for applying the purification method of the present invention, it includes a preparation step 41, an operation step 42, a circulation step 43, and a fine crystallization step 44. In the preparation step 41, the continuous purification system is prepared, and a crucible 111 containing molten aluminum B to be purified is arranged in each segregation station 11 (the temperature in the crucible 111 is about 650 to 750 degrees Celsius), and an empty discharge cylinder 121 is arranged in each discharge station 12. In the operation step 42, the turntable mechanism 21 is controlled to move downward to lower the crystallizer 22, wherein two crystallizers 22 respectively extend into the crucible 111 of the segregation station 11 and are immersed in the molten aluminum B, so that high-purity aluminum solidification crystals C are segregated on the surface of the corresponding crystallizer 22. And the other two crystallizers 22 respectively extend into the discharge cylinder 121 of the discharge station 12. When the operation step 42 is carried out for the first time, the other two crystallizers 22 extending into the discharge cylinder 121 do not have aluminum solidification crystals C attached to their surfaces. At this time, the auxiliary device 13 can be used to preheat the discharge cylinder 121 (to about 300 to 500 degrees Celsius).

[0029] Refer to Figure 1 , Figure 3 , and Figure 5 , in the circulation step 43, the turntable mechanism 21 is controlled to move upward to raise the crystallizer 22, and drive the crystallizer 22 to rotate along the circulation working path A to leave the original position. In this way, the other two crystallizers 22 originally located in the discharge station 12 respectively stay in the segregation station 11, and the two crystallizers 22 originally located in the segregation station 11 respectively stay in the discharge station 12, and then the operation step 42 is repeated. At this time, the two crystallizers 22 extending into the discharge cylinder 121 have aluminum solidification crystals C attached to their surfaces. Therefore, the auxiliary device 13 is respectively brought close to the two crystallizers 22, and each first electrode 132 is in contact with the outer tube 221 of the corresponding crystallizer 22 (see Figure 2) Each of the second electrodes 133 is in contact with the aluminum solidification crystal C on the crystallizer 22. Since the outer tube 221 is preferably made of graphite or other non-metallic materials, the contact interface between the outer tube 221 and the aluminum solidification crystal C has a relatively high resistance. Therefore, the pulsed current output by the pulsed power supply 131 will rapidly heat up due to this resistance, thereby quickly heating the aluminum solidification crystal C to the molten state, causing the aluminum solidification crystal C to detach from the outer tube 221 and be placed in the blanking cylinder 121. After blanking is completed, two of the crystallizers 22 can still be preheated at the blanking station 12, and then move to the next segregation station 11 along the cyclic working path A after the crystallization reaction in the adjacent segregation station 11 is completed.

[0030] Refer to Figure 1 、 Figure 3 and Figure 6 , when the high-purity purified aluminum melt D in the blanking station 12 reaches a predetermined amount, the cyclic step 43 will end and the grain refinement step 44 will be entered. In the grain refinement step 44, the blanking cylinder 121 is respectively moved into the vacuum chamber 31, and then the vibrating member 322 is respectively extended into the purified aluminum melt D in the blanking cylinder 121. The vibrating member 322 can apply ultrasonic vibration to the purified aluminum melt D, thereby making the grain size of the purified aluminum melt D less than 20 microns to complete grain refinement. In this way, high-purity and high-quality fine-grained aluminum materials can be obtained.

[0031] In summary, through the continuous and cyclic process of the present invention, the problems of the traditional process that need to continuously suspend the process and transfer to a distant place can be overcome. Moreover, the design of simultaneous purification and blanking can also greatly improve the output and overall efficiency. In addition, the heating time required for the auxiliary device 13 is much shorter than that of the traditional furnace, which can greatly save the blanking time. Therefore, the purpose of the present invention can indeed be achieved.

Claims

1. A continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials, Characterized in that: The continuous purification system includes a working unit and a purification unit. The working unit includes a plurality of segregation stations and a plurality of blanking stations arranged alternately with each other to form a circulating working path. Each segregation station is located between two adjacent blanking stations. The purification unit includes a plurality of crystallizers that can be driven to move along the circulating working path. Each crystallizer can be controlled to stay at and leave the plurality of segregation stations and the plurality of blanking stations in sequence.

2. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The continuous purification system further includes at least one fine crystal station adjacent to the blanking station. The fine crystal station includes a refining device that can apply ultrasonic vibration.

3. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The refining device of the fine crystal station includes a power supply and a vibrating member electrically connected to the power supply.

4. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 3, Characterized in that: The vibrating member of the refining device is a piezoelectric ceramic sheet that can be driven to vibrate by electricity.

5. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 2, Characterized in that: The fine crystal station further includes a vacuum chamber for accommodating the refining device.

6. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The working unit further includes an auxiliary device. The auxiliary device is arranged corresponding to the blanking station and is used to rapidly heat up the purification unit.

7. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 6, Characterized in that: The auxiliary device is a pulse voltage generator or a cycle induction heater.

8. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 7, Characterized in that: The auxiliary device is a pulse voltage generator, which includes a pulse power supply that can be controlled to generate a pulse current, a first electrode electrically connected to the pulse power supply, and a second electrode electrically connected to the pulse power supply.

9. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 1, Characterized in that: The purification unit further includes a turntable mechanism located above the segregation station and the blanking station and connected to the crystallizer. The turntable mechanism can be controlled to rotate to drive the crystallizer to move along the circulating working path. The turntable mechanism can be controlled to move up and down to drive the crystallizer to stay at or leave the segregation station and the blanking station.

10. The continuous purification system for high-purity aluminum materials according to claim 1, Characterized in that: Each crystallizer of the purification unit has a hollow outer tube, an inner tube coaxially extending in the outer tube, a driving member that can drive the outer tube to rotate relative to the inner tube, and a temperature equalizing member for controlling the flow of cooling fluid between the outer tube and the inner tube.

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