VANADIUM REFINING BY Ar-H₂ PLASMA ARC - 1. BASIC STUDIES ON REFRACTORY METAL REFINING IN PLASMA ARC FURNACES.

To prepare high-purity vanadium metal, the investigation of deoxidation and decarburization of a crude vanadium containing a small amount of carbon and oxygen, obtained by the carbothermic reduction of vanadium oxide, was made by an Ar-H//2 (5 to 25 vol. %) plasma arc smelting. Remarkable deoxidation from a crude vanadium was found in the Ar-H//2 plasma arc smelting, but decarburization was insufficient, as expected by the thermodynamical calculations. Massive vanadium metal of about 99. 6% purity, with a hardness of Hv equals 180, was obtained by the Ar-H//2 (25 vol. %) plasma arc treatment of a crude vanadium with high oxygen and low carbon content.