Reduction of trace oxygen by hydrogen leaking during selective vaporization to produce ultra-pure cadmium for electronic applications

Abstract A viable method utilizing leaking of high pure hydrogen gas into the distillation retort ambience maintained at 8.0 × 10 − 3  Torr was devised to minimize the incorporation of trace oxygen in cadmium and the possibility of forming cadmium oxides during purification using selective vaporization. Hydrogen leaking at the rate of 5 standard cubic centi-metre per minute (sccm) during distillation at soaking temperature of 450 °C reduced trace oxygen from 230–350 ppm for raw cadmium of 3N8 (99.98%) purity and from 5–10 ppm for distilled cadmium of 6N purity. This can be compared to the presence of 30–38 ppm oxygen in cadmium distilled under simple-vacuum of 2.1 × 10 − 3  Torr achievable in the system. A detailed comparison between distillation under simple-vacuum and hydrogen leaking is presented with reference to purity, distillation rate, soaking temperature, and mean free path of distillate vapors.