Separating two metals which are soluable in each other

I see as possible a physical separation by density in a strong centrifugal field since lead has a density of 11.34 and tin only 7.37 g/cm^3 If you have the possibility to use a crucible with a vertical axis and spin it fast enough when you fill it with molten alloy the centrifugal forces will separate the two fluids but there will always be a zone where the 2 will be still mixed. It could be necessary to use an induction heating in order to maintain the metals fluids long enough and at highest possible temperature to obtain lowest possible viscosity. The lower the viscosity the faster the separation. At higher temperature both will come with the oxygen from air to a reaction so that it could be necessary to inject N2 to avoid it. Although possible the question is if any other way can be easier and less expensive.

Hello nick name,

I don't think centrifuging would work. Using your logic, one could centrifuge salt out of salt water. Unless you could slowly cool the mixture to get some of one or the other to crystallize out, centrifugation would be useless.

The first thing that came to my mind was distillation. For equipment to accommodate the temperatures required, this would be quite expensive.

Mike

Which ever has the highest melting point heat them to that. Then lower the temperature just above the melting point of the lowest. The other will solidify and can be scoop off the top has it cools or can be poured off depending on which of the two has higher density.

I think that using both the result could be even better: Lead melting 327.5 °C Tin 232°C Under 327.5 lead will solidify but tin will stay fluid so that combining centrifugal forces with temperature control the separation can be much more better. If the centrifugal acceleration > g then the separation is more rapid. If not there is the archimedes force which will reduce the speed of lead deposit on recipient bottom.

Yeah, I would say each metal would have a unique point where it will change phase when heated, find this and use it to your advantage. One will turn to a liquid before the other.

In real life it's a bit more complicated, but this is where my mind starts.

The two metals will have different electrode potentials while in solution. So they might be separated with a little electrochemistry:

• Dissolve the mixture in a suitable aqueous acid so as to make a salt solution
• Electrolyse the solution at a specific electrode potential that will cause the plating-out of one metal and not the other.
• Harvest the first metal plated-out at the negative electrode.
• The remaining solution will be strong in the other metal. Replace the negative electrode and lower the electrode voltage so as to plate-out the second metal.
• Harvest the second metal plated-out at the negative electrode.

Separate while in molten state, Yes, But not without some chemical transformation. For example, to remove excess tin from a molten lead-tin bat, you can add a small amount of lead chloride. (1050-1200F)the lead chloride will oxidize the tin, and leave the led unchanged. Both the tin oxide and the lead chloride will come off in the top dross. here is a detail of the process: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/2235423.pdf Also you can do it Hydrometallurgically (acid base leaching treatment) If you are comfortable working with strong hot acids. If so let me know and I'll send you another method privately. (However this is below 45C) If your question is how can i get shiny tin metal separated from shiny lead metal (well, kind of shiny) from the molten bath in one process, he answer is I don't know any, they form an alloy, which I was taught is a solid solution of two or more metallic elements in a metallic matrix milo