Studies on the utilization of Zr-2.5Nb alloy scrap for the reclamation of zirconium and niobium metals

A chemical processing scheme has been successfully applied to separate niobium and zirconium from Zr-2.5% Nb alloy scrap, generated from nuclear industry. The processing route essentially comprised of two broad unit operations, viz. (i) chlorination of the alloy scrap to form mixed chlorides (ZrCl4 + NbCl5) and (ii) separation of the mixed chlorides by (a) hydrogen reduction and (b) salt scrubbing. It was possible to convert the scrap to 99.8 wt.% pure ZrCl4 and NbCl5. Also, the niobium content in zirconium tetrachloride could be decreased to a value less than I wt.%. While both the separating processes have been found effective for the removal of niobium to a low value, the latter process has been found to give better results consistently.