Separation system, method and apparatus

1 . A method of separating metal powder from a slurry of liquid metal and metal powder and salt, comprising introducing the slurry into a first vessel operated in an inert and/or vacuum environment for separation of liquid metal from the metal powder and salt leaving principally salt and metal powder substantially free of liquid metal, transferring the salt and metal powder substantially free of liquid metal in clumps having diameters less than about five centimeters prior to passivation, and thereafter treating the salt and metal powder to produce passivated metal powder substantially free of salt and liquid metal.

2 - 7 . (canceled)

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the metal powder is titanium or a titanium alloy.

9 - 13 . (canceled)

3 . A method of separating metal powder from a slurry of liquid metal and metal powder and salt formed by introducing a metal halide vapor subsurface of a liquid metal causing an exothermic reaction producing salt and metal powder with the liquid metal being present in excess of the stoichiometric amount required, comprising introducing the slurry into a first vessel operated in an inert and/or vacuum environment for filtration and vaporization of liquid metal from the metal powder and salt leaving principally salt and metal powder substantially free of liquid metal and in clumps of particles having diameters less than about five centimeters, transferring the liquid metal vapor to a condenser operated in an inert environment to convert the liquid metal vapor to a liquid to be recycled for production of additional metal powder, and thereafter treating the salt and metal powder to produce passivated metal powder substantially free of salt and liquid metal.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the slurry is heated in the first vessel by contact with a heat exchanger internal to the first vessel having heat exchange fluid pumped there through.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the liquid metal vapor from the first vessel is cooled by contact with heat exchanger internal to the condenser having a heat exchange fluid pumped there through.

17 - 21 . (canceled)

6 . A system for separating metal powder from a slurry of liquid metal and metal powder and salt formed by introducing a metal halide vapor subsurface of a liquid metal causing an exothermic reaction producing salt and metal powder with the liquid metal being present in excess of the stoichiometric amount required, comprising an inerted vessel in communication with a heater and a filter for filtering liquid metal from the slurry; a vessel in which liquid metal is vaporized from the salt and metal powder forming a filter cake of salt and metal powder, an inerted condenser in communication with said first vessel for receiving metal vapor and converting same to liquid metal, an inerted vessel in valved communication with said vessel filter cake is formed; a the filter cake into clumps; a cooling and passivating station for receiving filter cake, and a valve mechanism intermediate said inerted vessels and said vessel in which liquid metal is vaporized to prevent air from contaminating the filter cake prior to cooling and passivating transfer to said station.

23 - 24 . (canceled)

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein said filter in communication with said first inerted vessel is interior of said vessel.

26 - 32 . (canceled)

8 . A method of separating metal particulates from a slurry of liquid metal and metal particulates and salt particulates, comprising filtering the slurry to form a cake of metal and salt particulates with some liquid metal, breaking the cake and removing liquid metal from the broken cake, and thereafter separating the metal and salt particulates by washing with water.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the liquid metal is removed from the broken cake by vacuum distillation and the liquid metal is present in the filter cake up to about ten times the weight of the metal particulates.

35 - 46 . (canceled)

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the metal particulates are Ti or a Ti alloy and the salt is Na or Mg chloride.

48 - 49 . (canceled)

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the cake is broken into pieces having diameters up to about two centimeters prior to water washing.

12 . A method of separating metal particulates from a slurry of liquid metal and metal particulates and salt particulates, comprising filtering the slurry to form a cake of metal and salt particulates with some liquid metal, breaking the cake and removing liquid metal from the broken cake, separating the metal and salt particulates, and sizing the metal particulates before water washing to prevent unacceptable explosions upon contact with water.

52 - 59 . (canceled)

13 . A transfer mechanism between a first vessel containing a slurry of liquid and solids and a second vessel under vacuum, comprising a housing in communication with said first and said second vessels, a screw having a plurality of helical threads along a longitudinal shank within said housing for transferring material from said first vessel to said second vessel, the volume between adjacent screw threads and said housing diminishing between said first and said second vessels, whereby slurry entering said housing from said first vessel has the solids therein concentrated as the slurry is transported by said screw toward said second vessel while liquid is expressed from the slurry as the solids are concentrated until the concentrated solids form a plug sealing said second vessel from said first vessel.

61 - 73 . (canceled)

14 . A transfer mechanism between a first vessel containing a slurry of liquid alkali or alkaline earth metal or mixtures thereof and metal or alloy or ceramic particles and halide salt particles and a second vessel under vacuum, comprising a housing in communication with said first and said second vessels, a screw having a plurality of helical threads along a longitudinal shank within said housing for transferring material from said first vessel to said second vessel, the volume between adjacent screw threads and said housing diminishing between said first and said second vessels, whereby slurry entering said housing from said first vessel has the particles therein concentrated as the slurry is transported by said screw toward said second vessel while liquid metal is expressed from the slurry as the particles are concentrated until the concentrated particles form a plug sealing said second vessel from said first vessel.

75 - 85 . (canceled)

15 . A method of concentrating and transferring a slurry from one container to another while sealing the containers, comprising providing communication between the containers, transporting slurry from one container toward another container while expressing liquid from the slurry thereby increasing the solids concentration thereof until a plug is formed between two containers while solids from the plug are transferred to the another container.

87 - 91 . (canceled)

16 . A method of continuously producing metal powder, comprising introducing a metal halide gas into the liquid phase of a reductant metal to produce a slurry of metal powder and excess reductant metal and a halide salt of the reductant metal, incrementally expressing liquid reductant metal to form a cake, distilling the incrementally formed cakes to vaporize reductant metal leaving metal powder and salt substantially free of reductant metal, passivating the metal powder, washing the salt from the passivated metal powder, and drying the metal powder.

17 . A system of continuously producing metal powder, comprising a vessel containing a slurry of metal powder and liquid metal and a metal halide salt, and having an opening through which slurry flows, compression apparatus for incrementally expressing liquid metal from the slurry to form a cake with some liquid metal, a distillation apparatus for heating incrementally formed cakes to vaporize liquid metal leaving metal powder and salt substantially free of liquid metal, apparatus washing the salt from the metal powder, and apparatus for drying the metal powder.