Production of alkaline earth metal hydrides and use thereof in reducing refractory oxides

Claim 1

IN THE REDUCTION OF METAL OXIDES BY HEATING A MIXTURE OF AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL HYDRODE AND THE METAL OXIDE IN A CONFINED REACTON ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CONFINING AN INTIMATE FINELY DIVIDED MIXTURE OF THE METAL OXIDE AND AN ALKALINE EARTH METAL IN THE REACTION ZONE, INTRODUCING HYDROGEN INTO THE REACTION ZONE, AND APPLYING HEAT EXTERNALLY TO THE REACTION ZONE IN AMOUNT TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CHARGE TO A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENT TO START REACTION BETWEEN THE HYDROGENIC AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL BUT LESS THAN THAT REQUIRED TO START REACTION BETWEN THE METAL OXIDE AND A HYDRIDE OF THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL WHEREBY THE HYDROGEN IS CAUSED TO REACT WITH THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE CHARGE TO FORM THE HYDRIDE OF THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL AND THEREBY CAUSE EXOTHERMIC HEAT TO THE GENERATED INTERNALLY AT A MULTIPLICITY OF POINTS DISTRUBUTED UNIFORMLY IN THE CHARGE IN AMOUNT TO RAISE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CHARGE TO THAT AT WHICH THE ALAKLINE EARTH METAL HYDRIDE REACTS WITH SAID OXIDE.