Process and apparatus for reducing metal chlorides employing calcium carbide

Claim 1

IN A CYCLIC PROCESS FOR THE ULTIMATE REDUCTION OF CHLORIDES OF AT LEAST ONE PRODUCT METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM ZIRCONIUM, VANADIUM, HAFNIUM, NIOBIUM, AND TANTALUM, WHEREIN A CLOSED VACUUM FURNACE, A FIRST CLOSED REACTION VESSEL POSITIONED THEREIN, A SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL HAVING BUBBLE CAPP MEANS FOR PROVIDING FOR LIQUID AND GAS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL, SAID SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL POSITIONED WITHIN SAID FIRST CLOSED REACTION VESSEL AND SUSPENDED ABOVE THE LOWER END THEREOF TO FORM A SPACE THEREBETWEEN, AND ENTRY MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE CHLORIDE OF THE PRODUCT METAL TO BE REDUCED FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE THROUGHGGH THE COVER OF SAID VACUUM FURNACE AND SAID FIRST CLOSED REACTION VESSEL INTO THE UPPER END OF SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL ARE PROVIDED, THE STEPS OF INTRODUCING AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL A QUANTITY OF THE CHLORIDE OF AT LEAST ONE REDUCER METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF SODIUM AND MAGNESIUM, IN, TRODUCING IN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE LOWER END OF SAID SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL AND THE LOWER END OF SAIDF SAID FIRST CLOSED REACTION VESSEL A QUANTITY OF CALCIUM CARBIDE, PASSING THROUGH SAID ENTRY MEANS A QUANTITY OF THE CHLORIDE OF SAID PRODUCT METAL TO BE REDUCED, AND MAINTAINING THE INTERIOR OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND REACTION VESSELS AT A TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SUITABLE FOR MAINTAINING SAID REDUCER METAL IN THE VAPOR PHASE TO FORM IN SAID SECOND CLOSED REACTION VESSEL THE PRODUCT METAL OF THE METAL CHLORIDE TO BE REDUCED AND THE CHLORIDE OF SAID REDUCER METAL, AND CAUSING SAID AS-FORMED CHLORIDE OF SAID REDUCER METAL TO PASS INTO SAID FIRST REACTION VESSELL TO REACT WITH A FURTHER QUANTITY OF CALCIUM CARBIDE AND GENERATE A FURTHER QUANTITY OF REDUCER METAL IN THE VAPOR PHASE.