Known in the art is an apparatus for isolating titanium tetachloride from a vapour and gas mixture (cf. V.V. Sergeev, N.V. Galitsky et al. Titanium Metallurgy. Metallurg Publishers, 1971, p. 122 (in Russian)) which comprises a casing consisting of two chambers: an inlet chamber and a filtering chamber which are separated by a partition wall and provided with conical receptacles for collecting solid chlorides having chain mechanisms for chloride removal.
The prior art apparatus functions in the following manner.
A vapour and gas mixture containing TiCl.sub.4, SiCl.sub.4, VOCl.sub.3, CaCl.sub.2, MgCl.sub.2, MnCl.sub.2, FeCl.sub.3, AlCl.sub.3, CrCl.sub.4, CrCl.sub.3, CO, CO.sub.2, N.sub.2, COCl.sub.2 and other vapour and gaseous chlorides is admitted at 600.degree.-950.degree. C. through a pipe to the inlet chamber where chlorides of Ca, Mn, Mg, Fe and other compounds, as well as fine particles of titanium slag are cooled, the inlet chamber and the conical receptacle being covered with a layer of chlorides and dust, the mixture flows into the filtering chamber upon an abrupt change of direction, where further cooling and precipitation of individual chlorides take place. Due to the fact that heat conductance of the deposited chlorides is poor, the throughput capacity of the apparatus decreases in time thus materially impairing quality of isolation of TiCl.sub.4 from the vapour and gas mixture.
The disadvantage of the prior art apparatus resides in the fact that it operates on the intermitten basis since the deposited chlorides in the conical receptacle would clogg the partition wall and the operation is interrupted as the chlorides cannot be not permanently removed from both chambers and out of the apparatus without suspending its operation. Mechanisms normally used for removing chlorides from both chambers and conical receptacles are generally inoperable since the aggressive chloride medium causes their rapid damage.
It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus which eliminates heavy labour required for cleaning the conical receptacles to remove the deposited chlorides.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus operating on the continuous basis.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus ensuring high-grade purification of TiCl.sub.4 from other chlorides.
The invention consists in that in an apparatus for isolating titanium tetrachloride from a vapour and gas mixture, comprising a casing which is divided by a partition wall into two chambers; an inlet chamber and a filtering chamber for admission of a vapour and gas mixture thereto, and a conical receptacle for collecting solid chlorides arranged under each of the chambers, according to the invention, the inlet chamber and a filtering chamber are provided each with guide webs and separated by a partition wall comprising a gas duct establishing a communication between the lower portions of both chambers in such a manner that the inlet end of the gas duct is arranged under the guide webs of the inlet chamber and the outlet end is arranged under the guide webs of the filtering chamber which has inlet pipes for admission of pulps, one pipe for chloride pulp being arranged above the guide webs at a distance from one to two times the diameter of the filtering chamber and the other pipe for oxychloride pulp being arranged below the guide webs which are permanently covered by a filtering material.
This construction of the apparatus enables a continuous removal of the deposited chloride layer and its feeding out of the apparatus without employing heavy labour under high gas concentration, while ensuring high grade of purification of titanium tetrachloride from other chlorides.
The guide webs of the inlet chamber are preferably inclined in the direction of flow of a vapour and gas mixture, and the guide webs of the filtering chamber are inclined in the direction of flow of the filtering material.
This construction enables a better removal of chlorides from the guide webs.
The gas duct establishing a communication between the inlet and filtering chambers is preferably arranged in an inclined position.
This facility ensures a continuous flow of the deposited chlorides in a direction towards the conical receptacles.
The filtering material preferably comprises a carbonaceous lump sorbent, such as pitch coke.
This enables a better re-use of the filtering material.