Production and purification of titanium

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF METALLIC TITANIUM WHICH CONSISTS IN REDUCING THE VAPOUR OF A TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE OF THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE CHLORIDE, BROMIDE AND IODIDE WITH TITANIUM TO THE VAPOUR OF THE LOWER TITANIUM HALIDE BY CONTACTING AND REACTING THE SAID TETRAHALIDE VAPOUR WITH A TITANIUM BEARING MATERIAL OF THE GROUP CONSITING OF TITANIUM AND TITANIUM ALLOYS IN ANY STATE OF PURITY AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE UNDER THE PREVAILING PRESSURE OF THE SAID LOWER TITANIUM HALIDE, AND LEADING THE SAID LOWER TITANIUM HALIDE VAPOUR INTO A SEPARATE HEATED ZONE WHERE IT IS REDUCED TO METALLIC TITANIUM WITH HYDROGEN PROVIDED IN EXCESS AT A TEMPERATURE IN ACCORD WITH THE SAID HYDROGEN EXCESS WHICH IS ABOVE THE SAID CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE OF THE SAID LOWER TITANIUM HALIDE AND BELOW THE TEMPERATURE TO WHICH THE SAID TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SAME EXCESS OF HYDROGEN IN RELATION TO THE SAID TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE AND UNDER THE SAME CONDITIONS OF PRESSURE MUST BE HEATED IN ORDER TO OBTAIN THE SAME DEGREE OF CONVERSION OF THE SAID TITANIUM TETRAHALIDE TO METALLIC TITANIUM.