Production of metal borides by fused salt electrolysis

Claim 1

IN PRODUCING METAL BORIDE OF A METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ZIRCONIUM, TITANIUM, TANTALUM, COLUMBIUM, CHROMIUM, VANADIUM AND HAFNIUM BY ELECTROLYSIS WITHIN A FUSED SALT BATH, THE PROCEDURE OF PROVIDING A FUSED SALT BATH CONSISTING OF A METAL COMPOUND OF THE METAL OF THE DESIRED BORIDE AND OF ADDITIONAL BATH INGREDIENTS WITHIN WHICH SAID METAL COMPOUND WILL DISSOLVE AT ELEVATED TEMPERATURES IN THE RANGE BETWEEN ABOUT 900* TO 1300* C. AT WHICH THE INGREDIENTS OF SAID BATH REMAIN MOLTEN, WITH SAID ADDITIONAL BATH INGREDIENTS COMPRISING A BORON OXIDE AND A SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKALI METAL OXIDES, ALKALINE EARTH METAL OXIDES, ALKALI METALS SALTS AND ALKALINE EARTH METAL SALTS AND MIXTURES THEREOF; MAINTAINING WITHIN SAID BATH A SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS VESSEL-LIKE POROUS BARRIER CONSISTING PREDOMINANTLY OF SAID METAL COMPOUND, HEATING THE CONTENTS OF SAID BATH TO AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE WITHIN SAID RANGE, AT WHICH SAID CONTENTS REMAIN IN MOLTEN CONDITION; PASSING DIRECT CURRENT BETWEEN AN ANODE IMMERSED IN ONE REGION OF SAID BATH SEPARATED BY SAID BARRIER FROM A REMAINING REGION OF SAID BATH AND A CATHODE IN CONTACT WITH SAID REMAINING REGION OF SAID BATH FOR EFFECTING THEREIN AN ELECTROLYSIS AND FORMING SAID METAL BORIDE DEPOSITED IN THE REGION OF SAID CATHODE WHEREBY, DURING THE ELECTROLYSIS, THE SOLVENT ACTION OF SAID MOLTEN BATH ON SAID POROUS BARRIER AUTOMATICALLY MAINTAINS THE EFFECTIVE CONCENTRATION OF THE METAL COMPOUND WITHIN THE MOLTEN BATH DOWN TO AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENTLY LOW AS TO MAINTAIN SAID METAL COMPOUND SUBSTANTIALLY FULLY DISSOLVED IN THE MOLTEN BATH AND THE FORMATION OF DISPERSED UNDISSOLVED PARTICLES OF SAID METAL COMPOUND WITHIN SAID MOLTEN BATH IS SUBSTANTIALLY SUPPRESSED.