Preparation of titanium monoxide by electrolysis

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF PRODUCING SUBSTANTIALLY PURE TITANIUM MONOXIDE WHICH COMPRISED FORMING A FUSED SALT BATH CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE HALIDE SALT OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES AND MIXTURES OF ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES AND ALKALI METAL HALIDES IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL CONTAINING AN ANODE AND A CATHODE MAINTAINING THE FUSED BATH AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 700* C. AND 925* C. AND UNDER A NOBLE GAS ATMOSPHERE, CARGING SOLID SINTERED TITANIUM DIOXIDE IN THE VINCINITY OF THE CELL ANODE AND REMOTE FROM THE CELL CATHODE, PASSING AN ELECTROLYZING CURRENT THROUGH THE FUED BATH BETWEEN AN ANODE AND A CATHODE IN CONTACT WITH SAID BATH AT A CELL VOLTAGE SUCH AS TO ESTABLISH A CATHODE CURRENT DENSITY WITHIN THE RANGE OF 1 TO 500 AMPERES PER SQUARE DECIMENTER AND RECOVERING THE RESULTANT CATHODICALLY DEPOSITED TITANIUM MONOXIDES FROM THE CELL, SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM ANY HIGHER OXIDES OF TITANIUM BY WITHDRAWING MATERIAL FROM THE VINCINITY OF THE CATHODE UNCONTAMINATED BY ANY OF THE SINTERED TITANIUM DIOXIDE CHARGED IN THE VICINITY OF THE ANODE AND EXTRACTING THE TITANIUM MONOXIDE FROM THE WITHDRAWN MATERIAL.