Institute of Metallurgy of Ural Department of Russian Academy of Sciences, Ekaterinburg, Russia:
I. N. Tanutrov, Chief Researcher, e-mail: intan38@live.ru
M. N. Sviridova, Senior Researcher

The paper presents the basic results of thermodynamical and kinetic studies of high temperature germanium-containing systems, germanium compounds and alloys. Iron-based alloys are the most interesting. In many cases, iron is the basic concomitant component of germanium in raw materials. Thermodynamic properties of melts in the systems Fe – Ge – C, Fe – Ge – S – C and Fe – Ge – S were studied for the first time. There were carried out the experimental measures of values of coefficients of germanium distribution between metallic iron-based phase and slag of FeO — CaO – Al₂O₃ – SiO₂ system. There were investigated the kinetics and macro mechanism of formation of GeO₂ – C and Ge – GeO₂ monoxide and germanium monosulfide in Ge – CaSO₄ and GeO₂ – CaSO₄ – C systems. There was also carried out the first measurement of rate of monosulfide germanium evaporation from melts on the basis of Fe – Ge – S – S and Fe – Ge – Si – S – S systems in vacuum. The following rates were defined: rate of reduction of germanium-containing oxide melts by carbon and metallic iron; rate of formation of germanium tetrachloride by chlorination of Fe – Ge and Fe – Ge – Si alloys in NaCl – FeCl₃ melts; rate of oxidation of iron-based alloys in molten Na₂SO₄ – CaSO₄. As a result of researches, there were defined the conditions of maximum sublimation of vaporous germanium compounds from oxides and metallic alloys in solid and liquid form. There were researched the density, surface tension and viscosity of oxide melts of CaO – MgO – Al₂O₃ – SiO₂ – CaS system, which are typical for germanium technology. These data form the basic technological developments of Institute of Metallurgy of Ural Department of Russian Academy of Sciences in the field of germanium pyrometallurgical concentration. There are given the data on development and commissioning of pyrometallurgical technology of obtaining of germanium concentrates from industrial intermediate products and wastes. Nowadays, technological developments of Institute of Metallurgy of Ural Department of Russian Academy of Sciences in the field of obtaining of germanium concentrates are realized at Russian enterprises (as applied to prospective raw materials of Pavlovskoe deposit).

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