NOVELTY - Apparatus for processing non-ferrous metals (NFM's) comprises (a) apparatus (11) for melting NFM (3) containing foreign elements and/or compounds (2), (b) a melt processing reactor (17), comprising a reactor vessel (18), a processing column (20) in the vessel and a column heater (23) outside the vessel, (c) a generator (72) of reduced pressure in the reactor vessel and (d) a gas (37) supply device (36) for gassing molten NFM in the column.    USE - For purifying non-ferrous metals (NFM's), especially silicon (claimed). In particular the process and apparatus are useful for purifying secondary silicon (a by-product of the semiconductor industry) or metallurgical silicon to give silicon of sufficiently high purity for use in solar cells, e.g. by removing doping elements such as boron, gallium, phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.    ADVANTAGE - A simple, universally applicable and economical purification procedure is provided. The content of foreign elements and/or compounds in the NFM is generally reduced to less than 0.1 ppm. The process can be operated continuously.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - An INDEPENDENT CLAIM is included for a corresponding non-ferrous metal (NFM) processing method, involving: melting the NFM in the apparatus (11); supplying the molten NFM to the column (20); heating the column to the reaction temperature using the heater (23); generating reduced pressure in the reactor vessel (18) using the device (72); gassing the molten NFM in the column using the gas supply device (36); evaporating the foreign elements and/or compounds (2) from the molten NFM; and discharging the purified NFM (3) from the processing reactor (17).    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic diagram of one form of the apparatus for processing non-ferrous metals.    Processing apparatus (1)    Foreign elements or compounds (2)    Non-ferrous metal, e.g. silicon (3)    Introduction device (4)    Funnel (5)    Introduction valves (6, 8, 10)    Post-filling vessel (7)    Reduced pressure generators (9, 54, 72)    Melting apparatus (11)    Dosing vessel (12)    Weighing strip (13)    Heaters (14, 23, 69)    Melt container (15)    Connecting line (16)    Processing reactor (17)    Tubular reactor vessel (18)    Internal chamber of reactor (19)    Processing column (20)    Reactor casing (21)    Reactor shell chamber (22)    Heating elements (24)    Column head (25)    Column base (26)    Flow direction (28)    Gas supply lines (35, 40)    Gas supply device (36)    Process gas (37)    Gas supply valves (38, 42)    Gas preheater (39)    Purging gas (41)    Cooler (43)    Separating disks (44, 50, 61)    Cooling vessel (45)    Cooling chamber (46)    Water cooler (47)    Deflecting plate (48)    Discharge device (49)    Main chamber (51)    Auxiliary chambers (52)    Air-locks (53, 59)    Auxiliary chamber valve (55)    Receiving vessel (56)    Rollers (57)    Cooling elements (58)    Filter device (60)    Filter vessel (62)    Filter chamber (63)    Filter elements (64, 65, 66)    Filter casing (67)    Filter shell cavity (68)    Condenser (71)    Excess pressure valve (73)    By-pass line (74)    By-pass valve (75)