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Abstract

A process for the production of Mg metal from impure Mg-containing materials is disclosed. The process comprises the steps of reacting a slurry of impure Mg-containing material with a hot HCl-containing gas stream to produce an impure MgCl.sub.2 slurry, purifying the MgCl.sub.2 slurry to form a substantially pure MgCl.sub.2 solution, drying the substantially pure MgCl.sub.2 solution to produce a MgCl.sub.2 powder containing up to about 5% each of MgO and H.sub.2 O, dehydration melting of the MgCl.sub.2 powder to produce molten anhydrous MgCl.sub.2, performing electrolysis of the molten anhydrous MgCl.sub.2 to produce Mg metal and Cl.sub.2, and recycling all of Cl.sub.2 produced during electrolysis to the above dehydration melting step for converting MgO and H.sub.2 O present in the MgCl.sub.2 powder into MgCl.sub.2 and HCl and for producing the hot HCl-containing gas stream. Dehydration melting is preferably done by feeding the MgCl.sub.2 powder into the feed end of a rotary kiln, and reacting Cl.sub.2 produced during electrolysis with carbonaceous fuel and air in a burner located at the discharge end of the rotary kiln to produce a hot gas mixture containing HCl, CO, Co.sub.2, N.sub.2 and sufficient unreacted Cl.sub.2 to convert essentially all the MgO and H.sub.2 O present in the MgCl.sub.2 powder into MgCl.sub.2 and HCl.

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First Claim