METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING METAL AND OTHER VAPOURS

The present invention concerns the condensing of vapour phase compounds or elements, typically metals such as magnesium, obtained by reduction processes. These include metallothermic and carbothermic processes. There is described a method for condensing a metal vapour comprising: providing a gas stream comprising the vapour, passing the gas stream into a condensing chamber via a nozzle which has an upstream converging configuration and a downstream diverging configuration so that the metal vapour accelerates into the nozzle and expands and cools on exiting the nozzle thereby inducing the vapour to condense to form a beam of liquid droplets or solid particles in the condensing chamber, wherein the beam of droplets or particles is directed to impinge onto a liquid collection medium surface. Apparatus for performing the method is also described.