A device and method for purifying rare earth metals

Abstract

This invention discloses a rare earth metal purification device and method, including a base, a purification vacuum tank mounted on the base, a top tank fixedly connected to the top of the purification vacuum tank, a motor mounted on the top tank, and a rotating shaft rotatably connected to the inner wall of the top tank. This invention allows materials to fall into the crucible through the opening of the dispersion plate, ensuring relatively uniform distribution within the crucible. This uniform material distribution leads to more uniform melting and more thorough impurity removal, avoiding fluctuations in the rare earth to impurity ratio due to localized material imbalances. This improves the device's efficiency in obtaining rare earth metals. The top column causes relative vibration of the dispersion plate, completely preventing localized accumulation and effectively dispersing and flattening the material, preventing accumulation at any point in the crucible. This results in a more uniform molten pool temperature, significantly increasing metal yield and reducing waste. It is a crucial guarantee for obtaining high-quality, high-purity recycled rare earth metals.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of purification technology, specifically relating to a rare earth metal purification apparatus and method. Background Technology

[0002] Existing rare earth metal purification equipment mostly adopts a centralized feeding method, which makes it easy for materials to accumulate locally in the crucible. This leads to uneven melting, local overheating and burn-off, and undermelting. Gas impurities are not fully volatilized, and the composition is severely segregated. Furthermore, uneven feeding can easily cause molten pool splashing and accelerated oxidation, reducing the rare earth yield and purity, making it difficult to meet the demand for stable and efficient purification and acquisition of high-purity rare earth metals.

[0003] Patent CN220246218U discloses a purification device for rare earth metals. This device includes a bottom cylinder, inside which a heat insulation layer and a main crucible are fixedly installed. Multiple sets of heating wires are arranged between the main crucible and the heat insulation layer. An upper cylinder, a condensing cylinder, a secondary crucible, a driving block, a limiting strip, and a limiting frame are also installed on the bottom cylinder. The condensing cylinder is fixedly installed inside the upper cylinder, and a condensation space is provided between the condensing cylinder and the upper cylinder. The secondary crucible is installed below the condensing cylinder, and multiple connecting rods are fixedly arranged between the secondary crucible and the condensing cylinder. The driving block is fixedly installed on... The upper cylinder is equipped with a drive seat on the driving block for driving the upper cylinder. The limiting strip is fixedly set on the bottom cylinder, and the limiting frame is fixedly installed on the upper cylinder. The limiting frame and the limiting strip are slidably connected. This patent solves the problem of low safety when manually placing crude rare earth metals in related technologies. However, when the above device is used, it is difficult to make the material fall evenly into the crucible during the process of discharging the crude rare earth metal material. At the same time, it is difficult to completely solve the problem of local accumulation of material during use, which makes it easy for the material to accumulate at a certain point in the crucible, affecting the subsequent purification efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a rare earth metal purification apparatus and method to solve the problem of uneven material falling into the crucible during the metal purification process.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a rare earth metal purification device, comprising a base, a purification vacuum tank mounted on the base, a top tank fixedly connected to the top of the purification vacuum tank, a motor mounted on the top tank, a rotating shaft rotatably connected to the inner wall of the top tank, a fixing frame one fixedly connected to the circumference of the rotating shaft, a toggle plate fixedly connected to the right side of the fixing frame one, a guide inclined plate fixedly connected to the inner wall of the toggle plate, a fixing frame two fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing frame one, a dredging push plate fixedly connected to the inner wall of the fixing frame two, a protrusion one fixedly connected to the right side of the fixing frame two, and the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank fixedly connected to... A fixed ring is connected to the top of the fixed ring, and an elastic telescopic rod is fixedly connected to the top of the telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod. A connecting piece is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting piece, and a dispersing plate is fixedly connected to the top of the dispersing plate. A protrusion is fixedly connected to the top of the fixed ring. A top column is fixedly connected to the top of the fixed ring. A crucible is provided inside the purification vacuum tank, allowing the material to fall into the crucible through the opening of the dispersing plate. The material can fall into the crucible relatively evenly, and the uniform distribution of the material can make the melting more uniform and the impurity removal more thorough. This avoids fluctuations in the ratio of rare earth to impurities due to local excess or deficiency of material, and can improve the efficiency of the device in obtaining rare earth metals.

[0006] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the base is provided with a lifting mechanism for moving the equipment upwards, the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank is provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling down, the top tank is provided with a feed valve, the crucible is provided with a heating module, the rotating shaft is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor, the actuating plate is in contact with the top tank, the guide inclined plate is in contact with the top tank, the unblocking push plate is in contact with the dispersing plate, and the unblocking push plate is used to push the material on the surface of the dispersing plate. The top column can make the dispersing plate vibrate relative to each other, which can completely avoid local accumulation, shake and flatten the material, and prevent it from accumulating at a certain point in the crucible. This can make the temperature of the molten pool more uniform, greatly improve the metal yield, reduce waste, and is an important guarantee for obtaining high-quality, high-purity recycled rare earth metals.

[0007] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the second protrusion is located on the movement trajectory of the first protrusion, and the first protrusion is used to push the second protrusion to move downward. The top column is located on the movement trajectory of the dispersion plate, and the top column is used to provide vibration force to the dispersion plate. The second fixing frame is in contact with the rotating shaft. During the rotation of the second fixing frame, the rotation of the second fixing frame will drive the first protrusion to rotate. After the first protrusion rotates at a certain angle, the first protrusion will contact the second protrusion. At this time, the second protrusion will be subjected to the squeezing force of the first protrusion, and thus move downward. The movement of the second protrusion will drive the dispersion plate to move downward.

[0008] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the rising mechanism includes an inclined guide cover, which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank. A spiral rod is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connector, and a fixing rod is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank. A connecting block is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the fixing rod, and a gear is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the connecting block. A rack is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the inclined guide cover, and a magnetic suction plate is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inclined guide cover, so that the material can contact the magnetic suction plate inside the inclined guide cover. At this time, the magnetic suction plate can adsorb the fine powder in the material, which can avoid the rapid oxidation at room temperature due to the large specific surface area of ​​rare earth fine powder, forming a thick oxide layer on the surface, preventing fine powder oxidation, splashing, and contamination of the molten pool, and protecting the equipment. This ensures the final purity, yield, and equipment stability of the rare earth metal.

[0009] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the lifting mechanism further includes a cylinder, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the base. A heat insulation block is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder. A guide groove rod is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank. A fixing ring is slidably connected to the inner wall of the guide groove rod. This can shorten the distance between the crucible and the material, reduce the deviation of the material discharge caused by excessive distance, improve the stability of the crucible's movement, reduce the shaking of the crucible during movement, improve the purification efficiency and stability of the device, improve the quality of rare earth metals obtained, and simplify the crucible cleaning steps, thereby improving the subsequent cleaning efficiency of the crucible.

[0010] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the surface of the spiral rod is provided with a non-self-locking spiral groove, the connecting block is provided with a locking block, and the locking block is located in the spiral groove of the spiral rod. The gear meshes with the rack, and the gear is used to drive the rack to rotate. The heat insulation block is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crucible, and the second fixing ring is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the crucible. During the downward movement of the connecting member, the connecting member will drive the spiral rod to move. During the downward movement of the spiral rod, the thread groove on the surface of the spiral rod will contact the locking block of the connecting block. At this time, during the downward movement of the spiral rod, the spiral rod will drive the connecting block to rotate through the locking block. The rotation of the connecting block will drive the gear to rotate.

[0011] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the cooling mechanism includes a heat insulation cover, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank. A heating tube is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the heat insulation cover, which can achieve precise temperature control of the crucible, ensure melting and impurity removal efficiency, avoid low heating efficiency and large temperature fluctuations due to excessive gaps, ensure uniform temperature field, reduce component segregation, and improve the purity and yield of rare earth metals.

[0012] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the cooling mechanism further includes a fixing block, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing ring two. A pull rod is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the fixing block, and a slider is slidably connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank. An elastic telescopic rod two is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the slider, and a hollow copper plate is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod two. A circulating water pipe is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the hollow copper plate. The operator can circulate cooling water through the circulating water pipe inside the hollow copper plate to cool it down. The rare earth molten metal is rapidly cooled and solidified at the bottom of the crucible, which can inhibit grain growth, reduce component segregation, avoid impurities from accumulating at grain boundaries, and ensure uniform ingot structure and stable purity. At the same time, it allows oxides and non-metallic inclusions to float to the top of the ingot, which is convenient for subsequent removal, improves the purification effect, and protects the crucible, extending its service life.

[0013] In one or more embodiments of the present invention, the heating tube is located on the movement trajectory of the crucible, the pull rod is rotatably connected to the circumferential surface of the slider, the crucible is located on the movement trajectory of the hollow copper plate, the circulating water pipe is in contact with the purification vacuum tank, and as the crucible moves downward, the second fixing ring also moves downward, the second fixing ring drives the fixing block to move, and the movement of the fixing block drives the pull rod to move.

[0014] A method of using a rare earth metal purification apparatus includes the following steps: S1. First, materials can be discharged into the top tank through the feed valve by human or external machinery. At this time, the motor will start synchronously, and the output end of the motor will drive the rotating shaft to rotate. S2. The rotation of the rotating shaft will cause the fixed frame to rotate, and the rotation of the fixed frame will cause the actuating plate to rotate. S3. The rotation of the toggle plate will cause the guide ramp to rotate, and at the same time, during the rotation of the first fixed frame, the first fixed frame will cause the second fixed frame to rotate. S4. During the rotation of the second fixed frame, the second fixed frame will simultaneously drive the unblocking push plate to rotate. At this time, during the discharge of material, the material will come into contact with the push plate and the guide inclined plate. S5. During the rotation of the guide plate, the guide plate can guide and push the material to move through its own inclined surface, so that the material can fall more evenly onto the dispersion plate in the top tank.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. This rare earth metal purification device, through the coordinated movement of the base, purification vacuum tank, top tank, motor, rotating shaft, fixed frame one, actuating plate, guide inclined plate, fixed frame two, unblocking push plate, protrusion one, fixing ring one, elastic telescopic rod one, connecting parts, dispersing plate, protrusion two, top column, and crucible, allows the material to fall into the crucible through the opening of the dispersing plate. This ensures a relatively uniform drop into the crucible, resulting in more even melting and more thorough impurity removal. It avoids fluctuations in the rare earth to impurity ratio due to localized material imbalances, thus improving the device's efficiency in obtaining rare earth metals. The top column causes relative vibration of the dispersing plate, completely preventing localized accumulation and dispersing and leveling the material, preventing it from accumulating at any point in the crucible. This results in a more uniform molten pool temperature, significantly increasing metal yield and reducing waste. It is a crucial guarantee for obtaining high-quality, high-purity recycled rare earth metals.

[0016] 2. This rare earth metal purification device, through the coordinated movement of the inclined guide shroud, spiral rod, fixed rod, connecting block, gear, rack, magnetic suction plate, cylinder, heat insulation block, guide groove rod, and fixed ring, allows the material to contact the magnetic suction plate inside the inclined guide shroud. The magnetic suction plate then adsorbs the fine powder in the material, preventing rapid oxidation at room temperature due to the large specific surface area of ​​the rare earth fine powder. This results in a thick oxide layer forming on the surface, preventing oxidation, splashing, and contamination of the molten pool, protecting the equipment, ensuring the final purity, yield, and equipment stability of the rare earth metal. It also shortens the distance between the crucible and the material, reducing material deviation caused by excessive distance, and improving the stability of crucible movement. This reduces crucible shaking during movement, improving the purification efficiency and stability of the device, enhancing the quality of the obtained rare earth metal. Furthermore, the crucible movement simplifies the cleaning process and improves subsequent cleaning efficiency.

[0017] 3. This rare earth metal purification device, through the coordinated movement of the insulation cover, heating tube, fixing block, pull rod, slider, elastic telescopic rod, hollow copper plate, and circulating water pipe, can achieve precise temperature control of the crucible, ensuring melting and impurity removal efficiency. It avoids low heating efficiency and large temperature fluctuations caused by excessive gaps, resulting in a uniform temperature field, reduced component segregation, and improved purity and yield of rare earth metals. Operators can circulate cooling water through the hollow copper plate, rapidly cooling and solidifying the molten rare earth at the bottom of the crucible. This inhibits grain growth, reduces component segregation, and prevents impurities from accumulating at grain boundaries, ensuring uniform ingot structure and stable purity. Simultaneously, it allows oxides and non-metallic inclusions to float to the top of the ingot for easier removal, improving purification efficiency and protecting the crucible, thus extending its service life. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a half-sectional view of the purification vacuum tank structure of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the rotating shaft structure of the present invention; Figure 4 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure at point A in the middle; Figure 5 For the present invention Figure 3 Enlarged view of the structure at point B in the middle; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting mechanism of the present invention; Figure 7 For the present invention Figure 6 Enlarged view of the structure at point C; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the cylinder structure of the present invention; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the cooling mechanism of the present invention; Figure 10 For the present invention Figure 9 Enlarged view of the structure at point D.

[0019] Explanation of key figure labels: 1. Base; 2. Purification vacuum tank; 3. Top tank; 4. Motor; 5. Lifting mechanism; 6. Cooling mechanism; 7. Rotating shaft; 8. Fixing frame one; 9. Actuating plate; 10. Guide inclined plate; 11. Fixing frame two; 12. Unblocking push plate; 13. Protrusion one; 14. Fixing ring one; 15. Elastic telescopic rod one; 16. Connecting piece; 17. Dispersion plate; 18. Protrusion two; 19. Top column; 20. Crucible; 501. Inclined guide cover; 502. Helical rod; 503. Fixing rod; 504. Connecting block; 505. Gear; 506. Rack; 507. Magnetic suction plate; 508. Cylinder; 509. Insulation block; 510. Guide groove rod; 511. Fixing ring II; 601. Insulation cover; 602. Heating tube; 603. Fixing block; 604. Pull rod; 605. Sliding block; 606. Elastic telescopic rod II; 607. Hollow copper plate; 608. Circulating water pipe. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but it should be understood that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments.

[0021] like Figures 1-10As shown, a rare earth metal purification device includes a base 1, a purification vacuum tank 2 mounted on the base 1, a top tank 3 fixedly connected to the top of the purification vacuum tank 2, a motor 4 mounted on the top tank 3, a rotating shaft 7 rotatably connected to the inner wall of the top tank 3, a fixing frame 8 fixedly connected to the circumference of the rotating shaft 7, a toggle plate 9 fixedly connected to the right side of the fixing frame 8, a guide inclined plate 10 fixedly connected to the inner wall of the toggle plate 9, and a fixing frame 11 fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing frame 8. The inner wall of the fixing frame 11 is fixedly connected to... A unclogging push plate 12 is connected to the unclogging push plate 12. A protrusion 13 is fixedly connected to the right side of the fixing frame 2. A fixing ring 14 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2. An elastic telescopic rod 15 is fixedly connected to the top of the fixing ring 14. A connector 16 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod 15. A dispersing plate 17 is fixedly connected to the top of the connector 16. A protrusion 28 is fixedly connected to the top of the dispersing plate 17. A top column 19 is fixedly connected to the top of the fixing ring 14. A crucible 20 is provided inside the purification vacuum tank 2. When the device is ready for use, the material can first be discharged into the top tank 3 through the inlet valve by manual labor or external machinery. At this time, the motor 4 will start synchronously, and the output end of the motor 4 will drive the rotating shaft 7 to rotate. The rotation of the rotating shaft 7 will drive the fixed frame 8 to rotate, which will drive the actuating plate 9 to rotate. The rotation of the actuating plate 9 will drive the guide inclined plate 10 to rotate. At the same time, during the rotation of the fixed frame 8, the fixed frame 8 will drive the fixed frame 11 to rotate, which will synchronously drive the unblocking push plate 12 to rotate. During the discharge of the material, the material will interact with the actuating plate 9 and the guide inclined plate 10. When the plate 10 contacts, the guide plate 10 rotates and guides the material to move through its inclined surface, so that the material can fall more evenly onto the dispersion plate 17 in the top tank 3. At the same time, the unblocking push plate 12 rotates and pushes the material on the surface of the dispersion plate 17. During the movement of the material, it can fall into the crucible 20 through the opening of the dispersion plate 17, and fall more evenly into the crucible 20. The uniform distribution of the material can make the melting more uniform and the impurity removal more thorough, avoiding fluctuations in the ratio of rare earth and impurities due to local material excess or deficiency, and improving the efficiency of the device in obtaining rare earth metals. The base 1 is equipped with a lifting mechanism 5 for moving the equipment upwards. The inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2 is equipped with a cooling mechanism 6 for cooling. The top tank 3 is equipped with a feed valve. The crucible 20 is equipped with a heating module. The rotating shaft 7 is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor 4. The actuating plate 9 is in contact with the top tank 3. The guide inclined plate 10 is in contact with the top tank 3. The unblocking push plate 12 is in contact with the dispersing plate 17, and the unblocking push plate 12 is used to push the material on the surface of the dispersing plate 17. The second protrusion 18 is located on the movement trajectory of the first protrusion 13, and the first protrusion 13 is used to push the second protrusion 18 to move downwards. The top column 19 is located on the movement trajectory of the dispersing plate 17, and the top column 19 is used to provide vibration force to the dispersing plate 17. The second fixing frame 11 is in contact with the rotating shaft 7. When the device is in use, the rotation of the second fixing frame 11 will cause the first protrusion 13 to rotate. After rotating a certain angle, the first protrusion 13 will contact the second protrusion 18. The second protrusion 18 will be squeezed by the first protrusion 13 and move downward. The movement of the second protrusion 18 will cause the dispersing plate 17 to move downward. The movement of the dispersing plate 17 will cause the connecting piece 16 to move. At this time, the elastic telescopic rod 15 will be compressed. After the dispersing plate 17 moves downward a certain distance, the dispersing plate 17 will contact and collide with the top column 19. At this time, the top column 19 can cause the dispersing plate 17 to vibrate relative to each other, which can completely avoid local accumulation, shake and flatten the material, and prevent it from accumulating at a certain point in the crucible. This can make the temperature of the molten pool more uniform, greatly improve the metal yield, reduce waste, and is an important guarantee for obtaining high-quality, high-purity recycled rare earth metals.

[0022] Overall working principle: The unblocking pusher plate 12 can push the material remaining on the surface of the dispersing plate 17. During the movement, the material can fall into the crucible 20 through the opening of the dispersing plate 17. It can fall into the crucible 20 relatively evenly. The uniform distribution of the material can make the melting more uniform and the impurity removal more thorough. It avoids the fluctuation of the rare earth and impurity ratio due to local material excess or deficiency, and can improve the efficiency of the device in obtaining rare earth metals. The dispersing plate 17 will come into contact with the top column 19. At this time, the top column 19 can make the dispersing plate 17 vibrate relatively, which can completely avoid local accumulation, shake and flatten the material, and prevent it from accumulating at a certain point in the crucible. It can make the temperature of the molten pool more uniform, greatly improve the metal yield, reduce waste, and is an important guarantee for obtaining high-quality, high-purity recycled rare earth metals.

[0023] Please see Figures 1-10As shown, based on the above embodiments, in another embodiment of the present invention, the lifting mechanism 5 includes an inclined guide cover 501, which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2. A spiral rod 502 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connector 16, a fixing rod 503 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2, a connecting block 504 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the fixing rod 503, a gear 505 is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the connecting block 504, a rack 506 is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the inclined guide cover 501, and a magnetic suction plate 507 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inclined guide cover 501. When the device is in use, as the connecting member 16 moves downward, it drives the screw rod 502 to move. During this downward movement, the threaded groove on the surface of the screw rod 502 contacts the locking block of the connecting block 504. At this time, the screw rod 502, through the locking block, drives the connecting block 504 to rotate. The rotation of the connecting block 504 drives the gear 505 to rotate, which in turn drives the rack 506 to rotate. The rotation of the inclined guide cover 501 causes the inclined guide cover 501 to rotate. During the rotation, the inclined guide cover 501 will simultaneously drive the magnetic suction plate 507 to rotate. At this time, as large pieces of material fall through the dispersion plate 17, the material can come into contact with the magnetic suction plate 507 inside the inclined guide cover 501. At this time, the magnetic suction plate 507 can adsorb the fine powder in the material, which can prevent the rare earth fine powder from oxidizing rapidly at room temperature due to its large specific surface area. A thick oxide layer is formed on the surface, which prevents the fine powder from oxidizing, splashing, and contaminating the molten pool. It also protects the equipment and ensures the final purity, yield, and equipment stability of the rare earth metal. The lifting mechanism 5 also includes a cylinder 508, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the base 1. A heat insulation block 509 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the cylinder 508. A guide groove rod 510 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2. A fixing ring 511 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the guide groove rod 510. A non-self-locking spiral groove is opened on the surface of the spiral rod 502. A locking block is provided in the connecting block 504 and is located in the spiral groove of the spiral rod 502. A gear 505 meshes with a rack 506 and is used to drive the rack 506 to rotate. The heat insulation block 509 is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crucible 20, and the fixing ring 511 is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the crucible 20. When the device is in use, cylinder 508 is activated. The extension and retraction end of cylinder 508 drives the insulation block 509 to rise. The rise of the insulation block 509 drives the crucible 20 to rise. The movement of the crucible 20 drives the fixing ring 511 to rise. During the rise, the fixing ring 511 slides on the inner wall of the guide groove rod 510. This operation can shorten the distance between the crucible 20 and the material, reduce the deviation of the material discharge caused by excessive distance, improve the movement stability of the crucible 20, reduce the shaking of the crucible 20 during movement, improve the purification efficiency and purification stability of the device, improve the quality of rare earth metals obtained, and simplify the cleaning steps of the crucible 20, improving the subsequent cleaning efficiency of the crucible 20. The cooling mechanism 6 includes a heat insulation cover 601, which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2, and a heating tube 602 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the heat insulation cover 601. When the device is in use, after the crucible 20 rises a certain distance, it will come into contact with the heating tube 602. During the contact between the crucible 20 and the heating tube 602, the crucible 20 can be located in the heat insulation area of ​​the heat insulation cover 601, which can achieve precise temperature control of the crucible 20, ensure melting and impurity removal efficiency, avoid low heating efficiency and large temperature fluctuation due to excessive gap, ensure uniform temperature field, reduce component segregation, and improve the purity and yield of rare earth metals. The cooling mechanism 6 also includes a fixing block 603, which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing ring 511. A pull rod 604 is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the fixing block 603. A slider 605 is slidably connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank 2. An elastic telescopic rod 606 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the slider 605. A hollow copper plate 607 is fixedly connected to the telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod 606. A circulating water pipe 608 is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the hollow copper plate 607. The heating tube 602 is located on the movement trajectory of the crucible 20. The pull rod 604 is rotatably connected to the circumferential surface of the slider 605. The crucible 20 is located on the movement trajectory of the hollow copper plate 607. The circulating water pipe 608 is in contact with the purification vacuum tank 2. When the device is in use, as the crucible 20 moves downwards, the second fixing ring 511 also moves downwards. The second fixing ring 511 drives the fixing block 603 to move, which in turn drives the pull rod 604 to move. During this movement, the pull rod 604 simultaneously adjusts its angle, which in turn drives the slider 605 to slide. The sliding of the slider 605 then drives the second elastic telescopic rod 606 to move, which in turn drives the hollow copper plate 607 to move. The movement of the hollow copper plate 607 will cause the circulating water pipe 608 to move. After moving a certain distance, the hollow copper plate 607 will come into contact with the bottom of the crucible 20. At the same time, the operator can make the cooling water circulate and cool inside the hollow copper plate 607 through the circulating water pipe 608. The rare earth molten liquid cools down and solidifies rapidly at the bottom of the crucible, which can inhibit grain growth, reduce component segregation, and prevent impurities from accumulating at the grain boundaries, ensuring that the ingot structure is uniform and the purity is stable. At the same time, it allows oxides and non-metallic inclusions to float to the top of the ingot, which is convenient for subsequent removal, improves the purification effect, and protects the crucible and extends its service life.

[0024] A method of using a rare earth metal purification apparatus includes the following steps: S1. First, the material can be discharged into the top tank 3 through the feed valve by human or external machinery. At this time, the motor 4 will start synchronously, and the output end of the motor 4 will drive the rotating shaft 7 to rotate. S2. The rotation of the rotating shaft 7 will drive the fixed frame 8 to rotate, and the rotation of the fixed frame 8 will drive the actuating plate 9 to rotate. S3. The rotation of the toggle plate 9 will cause the guide ramp 10 to rotate. At the same time, during the rotation of the first fixing frame 8, the first fixing frame 8 will cause the second fixing frame 11 to rotate. S4. During the rotation of the fixed frame 2 11, the fixed frame 2 11 will synchronously drive the unblocking push plate 12 to rotate. At this time, during the discharge of material, the material will come into contact with the push plate 9 and the guide inclined plate 10. S5. During the rotation of the guide plate 10, the guide plate 10 can guide and push the material to move through its own inclined surface, so that the material can fall more evenly onto the dispersion plate 17 in the top tank 3.

[0025] Overall working principle: As large pieces of material fall through the dispersion plate 17, they come into contact with the magnetic suction plate 507 inside the inclined guide cover 501. The magnetic suction plate 507 then attracts the fine powder in the material, preventing rapid oxidation at room temperature due to the large specific surface area of ​​rare earth fine powder. This forms a thick oxide layer on the surface, preventing oxidation, splashing, and contamination of the molten pool, thus protecting the equipment. This ensures the final purity, yield, and equipment stability of the rare earth metal. It also shortens the distance between the crucible 20 and the material, reducing material deviation caused by excessive distance. Furthermore, it improves the stability of the crucible 20's movement, reducing shaking during movement, thereby increasing the purification efficiency and stability of the device and improving the quality of the obtained rare earth metal. Meanwhile, the movement of crucible 20 simplifies the cleaning process, improves subsequent cleaning efficiency, enables precise temperature control, ensures melting and impurity removal efficiency, avoids low heating efficiency and large temperature fluctuations due to excessive gaps, ensures uniform temperature field, reduces component segregation, and improves the purity and yield of rare earth metals. Operators can circulate cooling water through the circulating water pipe 608 inside the hollow copper plate 607 for cooling. The rare earth molten metal rapidly cools and solidifies at the bottom of the crucible, which can inhibit grain growth, reduce component segregation, prevent impurities from accumulating at grain boundaries, and ensure uniform ingot structure and stable purity. At the same time, it allows oxides and non-metallic inclusions to float to the top of the ingot, facilitating subsequent removal and improving purification effect. It also protects the crucible and extends its service life.

[0026] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered in all respects as exemplary and non-limiting, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be included within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0027] Furthermore, it should be understood that although this specification describes embodiments, not every embodiment contains only one independent technical solution. This narrative style is merely for clarity. Those skilled in the art should consider the specification as a whole, and the technical solutions in each embodiment can also be appropriately combined to form other embodiments that can be understood by those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. A rare earth metal purification device, comprising a base (1), characterized in that: A purification vacuum tank (2) is installed on the base (1). A top tank (3) is fixedly connected to the top of the purification vacuum tank (2). A motor (4) is installed on the top tank (3). A rotating shaft (7) is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the top tank (3). A fixing frame one (8) is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the rotating shaft (7). A toggle plate (9) is fixedly connected to the right side of the fixing frame one (8). A guide inclined plate (10) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the toggle plate (9). A fixing frame two (11) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing frame one (8). A dredging push plate (12) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the fixing frame two (11). The right side of the second fixing frame (11) is fixedly connected to a protrusion (13), the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2) is fixedly connected to a fixing ring (14), the top of the fixing ring (14) is fixedly connected to an elastic telescopic rod (15), the telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod (15) is fixedly connected to a connector (16), the top of the connector (16) is fixedly connected to a dispersion plate (17), the top of the dispersion plate (17) is fixedly connected to a protrusion (18), the top of the fixing ring (14) is fixedly connected to a top column (19), and a crucible (20) is provided inside the purification vacuum tank (2).

2. The rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The base (1) is provided with a lifting mechanism (5) for moving the equipment upwards, the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2) is provided with a cooling mechanism (6) for cooling down, the top tank (3) is provided with a feed valve, the crucible (20) is provided with a heating module, the rotating shaft (7) is fixedly connected to the output end of the motor (4), the actuating plate (9) is in contact with the top tank (3), the guide inclined plate (10) is in contact with the top tank (3), the unblocking push plate (12) is in contact with the dispersing plate (17), and the unblocking push plate (12) is used to push the material on the surface of the dispersing plate (17).

3. The rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that: The second protrusion (18) is located on the movement trajectory of the first protrusion (13), and the first protrusion (13) is used to push the second protrusion (18) to move downward. The top column (19) is located on the movement trajectory of the dispersion plate (17), and the top column (19) is used to provide vibration force to the dispersion plate (17). The second fixing frame (11) is in contact with the rotating shaft (7).

4. The rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (5) includes an inclined guide cover (501), which is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2). A spiral rod (502) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the connector (16). A fixing rod (503) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2). A connecting block (504) is rotatably connected to the inner wall of the fixing rod (503). A gear (505) is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the connecting block (504). A rack (506) is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the inclined guide cover (501). A magnetic suction plate (507) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the inclined guide cover (501).

5. The rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that: The lifting mechanism (5) also includes a cylinder (508), which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the base (1). The telescopic end of the cylinder (508) is fixedly connected to a heat insulation block (509). The inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2) is fixedly connected to a guide groove rod (510), and the inner wall of the guide groove rod (510) is slidably connected to a fixing ring two (511).

6. The rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that: The surface of the spiral rod (502) is provided with a non-self-locking spiral groove. The connecting block (504) is provided with a locking block, and the locking block is located in the spiral groove of the spiral rod (502). The gear (505) meshes with the rack (506), and the gear (505) is used to drive the rack (506) to rotate. The heat insulation block (509) is fixedly connected to the bottom of the crucible (20), and the second fixing ring (511) is fixedly connected to the circumferential surface of the crucible (20).

7. A rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that: The cooling mechanism (6) includes a heat insulation cover (601), which is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2), and a heating tube (602) is fixedly connected to the inner wall of the heat insulation cover (601).

8. A rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cooling mechanism (6) also includes a fixing block (603), which is fixedly connected to the bottom of the fixing ring (511). The inner wall of the fixing block (603) is rotatably connected to a pull rod (604). The inner wall of the purification vacuum tank (2) is slidably connected to a slider (605). The inner wall of the slider (605) is fixedly connected to an elastic telescopic rod (606). The telescopic end of the elastic telescopic rod (606) is fixedly connected to a hollow copper plate (607). The inner wall of the hollow copper plate (607) is fixedly connected to a circulating water pipe (608).

9. A rare earth metal purification apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that: The heating tube (602) is located on the movement trajectory of the crucible (20), the pull rod (604) is rotatably connected to the circumferential surface of the slider (605), the crucible (20) is located on the movement trajectory of the hollow copper plate (607), and the circulating water pipe (608) is in contact with the purification vacuum tank (2).

10. A method of using a rare earth metal purification device, comprising the rare earth metal purification device as described in claim 9, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: S1. First, the material can be discharged into the top tank (3) through the feed valve by human or external machinery. At this time, the motor (4) will start synchronously, and the output end of the motor (4) will drive the rotating shaft (7) to rotate. S2. The rotation of the rotating shaft (7) will drive the fixed frame (8) to rotate, and the rotation of the fixed frame (8) will drive the actuating plate (9) to rotate. S3. The rotation of the toggle plate (9) will cause the guide ramp (10) to rotate. At the same time, during the rotation of the first fixed frame (8), the first fixed frame (8) will cause the second fixed frame (11) to rotate. S4. During the rotation of the fixed frame two (11), the fixed frame two (11) will drive the unblocking push plate (12) to rotate synchronously. At this time, during the discharge of the material, the material will come into contact with the push plate (9) and the guide inclined plate (10). S5. During the rotation of the guide plate (10), the guide plate (10) can guide and push the material to move through its own inclined surface, so that the material can fall more evenly onto the dispersion plate (17) in the top tank (3).

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