Production of titanium

Claim 1

IN THE ELECTROLYTIC PRODUCTION OF METALLIC TITANIUM WHEREIN, AS A RESULT OF ELECTRIC CURRENT PASSING BETWEEN AN ELETRICALLY CONNECTED ANODE AND A CATHODE IMMERSED IN A FUSED SALT AND SEPARATED BY A POROUS PHYSICAL BARRIER, THE TITANIUM COMPONENT OF A TITANIUM COMPOUND PRESENT IN THE BATH IS DEPOSITED ON THE CATHODE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING THE RESQUISITE PHYSICAL BARRIER BY POSITIONING A PERFORATE STRUCTURE OF ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE MATERIAL IN THE BATH BETWEEN THE ANODE AND CATHODE SO AS TO SEPARATE THE BATH INTO ANOLYTE AND CATHOLYTE PORTIONS, INTERCONNECTING THE PERFORATED STRUCTURE IN THE ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT INCLUDING THE ANODE AND CATHODE SO THAT THE PERFORATE STRUCTURE IS ELECTRONEGATIVE WITH RESPECT TO THE ANODE, CONTROLLING THE CURRENT FLOWING BETWEEN THE ANODE AND THE PERFORATE STRUCTURE SO AS TO DEPOSIT METALLIC TITANIUM ON THE PERFORATE STRUCTURE, CONTINUING THE ELECTRODEPOSITION OF METALLIC TITANIUM ON THE PERFORATE STRUCTURE UNTIL THE TITANIUM DEPOSIT THEREON IS SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE THE DEGREE OF PERMEABILITY REQUIRED TO SERVE AS THE POROUS BARRIER DURING SUBSEQUENT DEPOSITION OF METALLIC TITANIUM ON THE CATHODE, AND THEREAFTER CONTROLLING THE CURRENT FLOWING BETWEEN THE ANODE, THE TITANIUM-BEARING PERFORATE STRUCTURE AND THE CATHODE SO AS TO EFFECT DEPOSITION OF METALLIC TITANIUM ON THE CATHODE WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY MAINTAINING THE POROUS METALLIC TITANIUM DEPOSIT ON THE PERFORATE STRUCTURE.