Vapor-phase smelting process

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS WHEREIN TITANIUM IS PRODUCED BY REACTING A CHLORIDE OF TITANIUM WITH A REDUCING AGENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MAGNESIUM, POTASSIUM AND SODIUM TO FORM TITANIUM AND A CHLORIDE OF SAID REDUCING AGENT. THE METHOD OF SEPARATING SAID TITANIUM FROM SAID REDUCING AGENT CHLORIDE, WHICH COMPRISES: MELTING AT LEAST ONE HALIDE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CALCIUM FLUORIDE TO FORM A CHLORIDE AND MAGNESIUM FLUORIDE TO FORM A MOLTEN POOL OF SAID HALIDE, SAID HALIDE HAVING A BOILING POINT THAT LIES ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF TITANIUM AND ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF SAID REDUCING AGENT CHLORIDE; HEATING SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL TO A TEMPERATURE THAT LIES IN THE RANGE BETWEEN THE MELTING POINT OF TITANIUM AND THE BOILING POINT OF SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL SAID TEMPERATURE BEING ABOVE THE BOILING POINT OF SAID REDUCING AGENT CHLORIDE; MIXING SAID CHLORIDE OF TITANIUM WITH SAID REDUCING AGENT WITHINN SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL SO AS THAT REACTION BETWEEN SAID TITANIUM CHLORIDE AND SAID REDUCING AGENT WITHIN SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL YIELDS MOLTEN PARTICLES OF TITANIUM DISPERSED WITHIN AND COLLECTED BY SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL, THE REDUCING AGENT CHLORIDE FORMED IN SAID REACTION BEING SEPARATE FROM SAID COLLECTED TITANIUM PARTICLES BY WITHDRAWING SAID REDUCING AGENT CHLORIDE IN VAPOR PHASE FROM SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL; AND FLOATING SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL CONTAINING SAID TITANIUM PARTICLES ON A MOLTEN POOL OF TITANIUM, SAID MOLTEN TITANIUM POOL BEING FORMED AS SAID TITANIUM PARTICLES SETTLE THROUGH SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL TO COLLECT AT THE BASE OF SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL, THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID MOLTEN HALIDE POOL AND SAID MOLTEN TITANIUM POOL BEING MAINTAINED WITHIN SAID RANGE WITH THE AID OF HEAT RELEASED BY SAID REACTION.