Method of producing refractory metals

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING A METAL FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE METALS TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, HAFNIUM, VANADIUM, COLUMBIUM AND TANTALUM BY REDUCTION OF A HALIDE THEREOF WHICH IS VOLATILIZABLE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW ITS DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE, SAID PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS OF FEEDING SAID METAL HALIDE INTO A REACTION ZONE DEFINED BY A METALLIC WALL, PROVIDING A REDUCING METAL FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI METALS AND THE ALKALI EARHT METALS MAGNESIUM AND CALCIUM, FEEDING SAID REDUCING METAL INTO SAID REACTION ZONE WITH MIXING OF SAID TWO INTRODUCED MATERIALS SO THATT THEY REACT WITH INTENSE HEAT TO REDUCE SAID METAL HALIDE TO SAID METAL IN A HIGHLY HEATED REACTION FLAME WHICHIS IS AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF THE PRODUCT METAL AND ABOVE THE VAPORIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE BY-PRODUCTT HALIDE, THE REACTION FLAME BEING DIRECTED AGAINST THE SURFACE OF A BODY OF SAID PRODUCT METAL SO AS TO MAINTAIN SAID SURFACE AT A TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY IN EXCESS OF THE VAPORIZATION TEMPERATURE OF THE BY-PRODUCT HALIDE ESSENTIALLY BY TRANSFER OF HEAT TO SAID SURFACE FROM THE REACTION FLAME, MAINTAINING THE METALLIC WALL DEFINING THE REACTION ZONE AT A TEMPERTURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE EUTECTIC FORMED BETWEEN THE PRODUCT METAL AND THE METAL OF THE WALL AND ABOVE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH APPRECIABLE CONDENSATION OF THE BY-PRODUCT HALIDE OCCURS SO AS TO PREVENT UNDUE CHILLING OF THE REACTION FLAME, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID REACTION ZONE AT LEAST A MAJOR PORTION OF THE VAPORS OF SAID BY-PRODUCT HALIDE AND QUENCHING SAID WITHDRAWN VAPORS BY MIXING TOGETHER A STREAM OF SAID VAPORS AND A STREAM OF A LIQUID WHICH IS INERT TO SAID BY-PRODUCT HALIDE, SAID LIQUID STREAM PRIOR TO MIXING WITH SAID VAPORS HAVING A TEMPERATURE LESS THAN THE CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID BY-PRODUCT HALIDE AND SAID LIUQUID HAVING A SUFFICIENTLY HIGH TEMPERATURE SO THAT THE MIXTURE OF SAID LIQUID AND SAID CONDENSED BY-PRODUCT HALIDE REMAINS LIQUID, THE MXTURE OF QUENCH LIQUID AND CONDENSED BY-PRODUCT HALIDE BEING MAINTAINED BELOW THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH THE CONDENSED BY-PRODUCT HALIDE HAS AN APPRECIABLE VAPOR PRESSURE.