Nonelectrolytic production of chlorine

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING CHLORINE AND AMMONIA FROM AMMONIUM CHLORIDE WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AMMONIUM CHLORIDE TO MANGANOUS OXIDE, THE MOL RATIO OF AMMONIUM CHLORIDE TO MANGANOUS OXIDE BEING SUBSTANTIALLY TWO TO ONE, TO FORM AMMONIA AND MANGANOUS CHLORIDE, SEPARATING THE AMMONIA FROM THE MANGANOUS CHLORIDE, REACTING THE MANGANOUS CHLORIDE WITH MANGANESE DIOXIDE AND NITRIC ACID, EMPLOYING NOT LESS THAN 1 MOL OF MANGANESE DIOXIDE AND NOT LESS THAN 4 MOLS OF NITRIC ACID FOR EACH MOL OF MANGANOUS CHLORIDE, AT A TEMPERATURE SUFFICIENTLY ELEVATED TO FORM GASEOUS CHLORINE AND MANGANOUS NITRATE, SEPARATING THE CHLORINE FROM THE MANGANOUS NITRATE, THERMALLY REACTING THE MANGANOUS NITRATE IN THE PRESENCE OF AIR AND WATER TO FORM NITRIC ACID AND MANGANESE DIOXIDE, SEPARATING AND RECOVERING THE NITRIC ACID, RECYCLING THE RECOVERED NITRIC ACID TO THE CHLORINE FORMATION STEP OF THE PROCESS, REDUCING A PART OF THE MANGANESE DIOXIDE TO MANGANOUS OXIDE, THE AMOUNT OF MANGANOUS OXIDE FORMED BEING NOT LESS THAN THE AMOUNT CONSUMED IN THE AMMONIA LIBERATION STEP RECYCLING THE MANGANOUS OXIDE TO THE AMMONIA LIBERATION STEP AND RECYCLING THE REMAINDER OF THE MANGANESE DIOXIDE TO THE CHLORINE FORMATION STEP.