Zone refining is used to obtain which type of material?
Last Updated:
Zone refining, also called zone melting, is used to produce ultra-pure metals and semiconductor materials. A narrow region of an impure solid is melted and moved slowly along the rod. As the molten zone travels, impurities concentrate in it and are carried toward one end. Germanium, silicon, gallium and indium can be purified by this technique. It does not manufacture alloys, separate isotopes or make polymers. Concept depth: Zone refining uses a moving narrow molten zone to remove impurities from a solid rod. Its basis is the distribution of an impurity between solid and liquid phases.