Oxide reduction-metal distillation still

At the present time, when gram to kilogram amounts of either Am isotope are available, the method of choice for the preparation of Am metal is the metallothermic reduction of Am02 with La (or Th) using a pressed pellet of the oxide and the reductant metal. An oxide reduction-metal distillation still system is shown schematically in Fig. 11. Yields of Am metal are typically >90% and purity levels equal or exceed 99.5 at %. Further purification of the product Am metal can be achieved by repeated sublimations under bigh vacuum in a Ta apparatus (Section III,B Fig. 4). A photograph of 2 g of Am metal distilled in a Ta apparatus is given in Fig. 12. 

Fig. 11. An oxide reduction-metal distillation still system.

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