Method for making powdered vanadium metal

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING FROM MASSIVE VANADIUM METAL THE INGOT OF VANADIUM METAL AMENABLE TO COLD-ROLLING WHICH COMPRISES MAKING A LUMP OF MASSIVE VANADIUM METAL THE CATHODE IN AN ACID ELECTROLYE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF DILUTE SULPHURIC, DILUTE HYDROCHLORIC, AND DILUTE PHOSPHORIC ACIDS, AND PASSING CURRENT THROUGH THE ELECTROLYTE, UNTIL THE HYDROGEN CONTENT OF SAID VANADIUM IS INCREASED BY ELECTROLYSIS TO BETWEEN 0.01 AND 0.50% HYDROGEN, WHEREBY THE VANADIUM IS MADE BRITTLE, REOMVING THE EMBRITTLED MASSIVE VANADIUM FROM SAID ELECTROLYTE, CRUSHING SAID EMBRITTLED MASSIVE VANADIUM, MELTING THE CRUSHED VANADIUM TO THE MOLTEN STATE IN AN INERT ATMOSPHERE, WHEREBY THE ADDED HYDROGEN IS DRIVEN OFF, AND CASTING AN INGOT FROM THE MOLTEN VANADIUM METAL.