Recovery of metallic aluminum from aluminous ores

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING METALLIC ALUMINUM FROM A GASEOUS MIXTURE OF INTER GAS AND METALLIC CHLORIDES OBTAINED BY THE CHLORIDIZATION OF ALUMINA-RICH ORES IN THE PRESENCE OF INERT GAS WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF: REMOVING FROM SAID GASEOUS MIXTURE ALL MATALLIC CHLORIDES HAVING A CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN THE CONSENSATION TEMPERATURE OF SAID ALUMINUM CHLORIDE PASSING THE REMAINING GASEOUS MIXTURE COUNTERCURRENTLY THROUGH A CONFINED COMPACT MOVING COLUMN OF GRANULAR REFACTOR MATERIAL OF HIGH HEAT CAPACTITY SAID COLUMN HAVING A TEMPERATURE GRADIENT INCLUDING THE SUBLIMATION AND CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE OF ALUMNUM CHLORIDE; WITHDRAWING GASEOUS MATERIAL FROM SAID COLUMN AT A LEVEL THEREIN WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN SAID CONDENSATION TEMPERATURE; REDUCING THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID WITHDRAWN GASEOUS MATEARIAL TO CONDENSE ALUMINUM CHLORIDE THEREFROM; RETURNING THE UNCONDENSED GASEOUS MATERAIAL, INCLUDING REMAINING UNCONDENSED ALUMINUM CHLORIDE, TO SAID COLUMN AT A LEVEL WHERE THE TEMPERATURE IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN SAID CONDENSATION TEMPERATTURE, WHEREBY THE RAMAINING GASEOUS ALUMINUN CHLORIDE IS CONDENSED DURING ITS FURTHER UPWARD MOVMENT THROUGH SAID COLUMN AND IS CONVEYED DOWNWARDLY IN SOLID STATE WITH SAID GRANULAR REFRACTOR MATERIAL TO AND BELOW SAID WITHDRAWAL LEVEL WHEREAT THE TEMPERATURE IS SUCH AS TO EFFECT A RESUBLIMATION OF THE SOLIDE ALUMINUM CHLORIDE REMOVING FROM THE REMAINING PORTION OF SAID UNCONDENSED GASEOUS MATERIAL ALL REMAINING METALLIC CHLORIDE; REHEATING THE RAEMAINING INERT GASEOUS MATERIAL; RECOVERING METALLIC ALUMINUM AND CHLORINE FROM SAID CONDENSED ALUMAINUM CHLORIDE; AND COMBINING SAID RECOVERED CHLORINE WITH SAID REHEATED INERT GAS FOR REUSE IN SAID CHLORIDIZATION.