Low temp distillation of metals

[jim mcnamara]

Is practical to employ fractional distillation methods on a mixture of two metallic elements with low BP - for example Hg and Zn?

And no, I'm not trying to do this.

 

[Astronuc]

Zn and Hg are in the same group, so they may not be effective.

Liquid metal and distillation may be possible in a few limited cases.

It might be possible with Bi-Pb, but I don't remember.


This is more to do with removing impurities for refining steel scrap.
Vacuum distillation of liquid metals: Part II. Photographic study
http://www.springerlink.com/content/e75w60378925j762/


SEPARATION OF $sup 210$Po FROM BISMUTH BY LIQUID METAL DISTILLATION.
http://www.osti.gov/energycitations/product.biblio.jsp?osti_id=4091492

See if this works -
Fractional Distillation

I also know that certain pyrometallurgical techniques have been proprosed for metal fuel used in the integral fast reactor (IFR), but offhand I don't recall the process.