Low temp distillation of metals

[jim mcnamara]

Is practical to employ fractional distillation methods on a mixture of two metallic elements with low BP - for example Hg and Zn?

And no, I'm not trying to do this.

 

[Astronuc]

Zn and Hg are in the same group, so they may not be effective.

Liquid metal and distillation may be possible in a few limited cases.

It might be possible with Bi-Pb, but I don't remember.


This is more to do with removing impurities for refining steel scrap.
Vacuum distillation of liquid metals: Part II. Photographic study
http://www.springerlink.com/content/e75w60378925j762/


SEPARATION OF $sup 210$Po FROM BISMUTH BY LIQUID METAL DISTILLATION.
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=4091492

See if this works -
Fractional Distillation

I also know that certain pyrometallurgical techniques have been proprosed for metal fuel used in the integral fast reactor (IFR), but offhand I don't recall the process.

 

[ravenprp]

It is possible to use fractional distillation methods on a mixture of two metallic elements with low boiling points, such as Hg and Zn. However, it may not be the most practical method for separating these metals. Fractional distillation is typically used for separating liquids with different boiling points, and it may not be as effective for separating solid metals. Additionally, the low boiling points of Hg and Zn may make it difficult to control the distillation process and could potentially lead to the loss of one or both of the metals. Other separation techniques, such as chromatography or electrolysis, may be more suitable for separating these metals.