The Van Arkel process is most commonly used for the purification of which metal?
Gold
Silver
Titanium
Platinum
The Van Arkel process is primarily used for the purification of titanium. The process is named after its inventor, Anton Eduard van Arkel and it is a chemical method used to produce high-purity titanium metal.
In the Van Arkel process, impure titanium tetrachloride is reacted with a reactive metal, typically magnesium (Mg), to form a solid compound known as a metal halide. This compound is then heated to a high temperature, causing it to undergo a thermal decomposition process called sublimation. During sublimation, the impurities are left behind, and high-purity titanium metal is obtained.
This process is crucial for the production of pure titanium, which is used in various industries such as aerospace, medical devices, and chemical processing.