Systematic study of distribution coefficients of admixtures in rare metals during crystallization and refining processes

This paper is a systematic study of binary systems of rare earth metals which can be made by mixtures taken from the following list of basic metals: Y. La, Ce, Pr, ND, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu. Approximate equations were calculated for mixtures chosen with the solidus and the liquidus in the range close to that of pure basic rare metals. On the basis of these equations values were calculated of equilibrium distribution coefficients of mixtures in basic metals. Graphs were constructed to show how periodical correlation of equilibrium distribution coefficients of mixtures in rare metals depends on the atomic number of the admixture. These findings are relevant to the theory and practice of preparing high–purity rare metals by crystallization methods.