McDougall, Hersh & Scott
Process for the separation of zirconium and hafnium tetrachlorides from mixtures thereof
 The invention relates to a process for the separation of zirconium, and hafnium tetrachlorides from mixtures thereof. The process according to the invention consists of selectively absorbing zirconium tetrachloride and hafnium tetrachloride vapors in a solvent medium circulating counter-current to these vapors in a distillation column, wherein the solvent consists of a molten chloroaluminate and/or chloroferrate of potassium. The process described may be used to obtain hafnium-free zirconium tetrachloride which may then be used to prepare nuclear-grade zirconium, and hafnium tetrachloride containing little zirconium. 
Ugine Aciers
C C C
C01G C22B C01G
inventional inventional inventional
Jean Michel Paul Pierre
Guerin Bakes Besson Brun