US Patent 8480950 Device and method for obtaining non-ferrous metals

Device and method for separating metals and metal oxides thereof, in particular in non-ferrous alloys, such as zinc. To this end, zinc residues (dross) is placed in a rotary drum and heated. After a certain treatment time, pure metal located in the bottom part of the drum is poured out. The invention proposes that the drum be held rotatably on a drive mechanism arranged in the cover of the furnace. This facilitates handling of the drum, more particularly when placing it on its drive mandrel. As a result, it is possible to use larger drums, resulting in a larger capacity and a more efficient process.