On the Distillation Separation of Aluminum–Tellurium System Melts under Equilibrium Condition

Abstract

The problem to purify secondary aluminum raw materials from tellurium can be solved by the distillation method based on phase diagrams with liquid and vapor coexistence fields. Similar diagrams can be generated based on the vapor pressure values of the components. In this regard, the vapor pressure values of tellurium and aluminum telluride were determined by the boiling point method. The aluminum vapor pressure values are found by integration of the Gibbs-Duhem equation. The boundaries of the system vapor-liquid equilibrium fields for the Al-Te system at 101.32 kPa and 6.67 kPa were calculated based on the vapor pressure values of the components. The following conclusion can be made from the consideration of the position of the liquid and vapor coexistence field boundaries under atmospheric pressure and in a vacuum. Aluminum can be quite completely purified from Al2Te3 and Te by distillation in a vacuum in one operation at temperatures above 1273 K. Tellurium will be in a complete vapor state under these conditions—above the boiling line in the Al2Te3-Te system.