Abstract
This study investigated the high-temperature, high-pressure reactivity of phosphorus trifluoride, a highly reactive volatile complexing agent, to reduce ores or to form volatile metal complexes of ni, CO, cr, mn, and pt when the metal is in the form of a low- percentage ore or waste material such as a spent catalyst. Since the complexes will thermally decompose, this process may lead to the development of a satisfactory critical mineral recovery system that requires a process that is energy and materials efficient in addition to providing the rectified mineral in a convenient form. Metal oxides and complex metal oxides of these metals have been combined with phosphorus trifluoride at temperatures up to 500 deg c at pressures up to 55,000 psi. Nickel has been recovered as nickel(0)tetrakistrifluorophosphine and platinum as platinum(0)tetrakistrifluorophosphine; the chromium compound has been reduced to the metal.
