1. Decomposition
The first stage in the technological chain of Ge receiving is the process of muriatic decomposition of Ge content raw materials, with the subsequent purification of the received Germanium tetrachloride.
The applied technology allows to recycle various Ge content materials. It can be waste and co-products of metallurgical productions, ashes from burning of coals, germanium concentrates containing Ge from two percent, technical Germanium dioxide, secondary raw materials of various origin, and also waste of own production in the form of grinding powders and circulation. Process of decomposition is making in reactors and is based on liquid-phase chlorination in the muriatic environment with receiving technical Germanium tetrachloride. The production equipment and unique technologies which don't have analogs in world practice allow to solve arising problems under recycling of any kinds of raw materials with Ge content.
One of conditions of receiving high-quality products from Germanium at the subsequent stages of production is purity of intermediate products, therefore the received technical Germanium tetrachloride is transferred to the refining including the following stages:
- the vitriolic distillation allowing to clear tetrachloride Germanium out of organic character impurities and mechanical inclusions;
- liquid extraction as a priliminary stage of cleaning of impurity elements, mainly from arsenic;
- rectification is a deep purification of tetrachloride Germanium from arsenic and other impurities.
The received rectificate will be tested and transferred to hydrolysis for production of germanium dioxide, or for the purpose of receiving such finished goods as Germanium tetrachloride of high purity and Germanium tetrachloride for optical fiber, and then transferred to additional stages of thermochemical cleaning and distillation.