Production of metals

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TITANIUM WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF PROVIDING A CLOSED ELECTROLYTIC CELL HAVING A PLURALITY OF BIPOLAR ELECTRODES TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF CATHODES AND ANODES, PAIRS OF SAID CATHODES, AND ANODES DEFINING ELECTROLYSIS ZONES THEREBETWEEN, PROVIDING IN SAID CALL AN ELECTROLYTE BATH COMPOSED OF A MOLTEN MIXTURE OF HALIDES FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI METAL AND THE ALKALINE EARTH METAL HALIDES, INTRODUCING TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE ELECTROYLTE INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ANODE AND A CATHODE IN SAID CELL, SAID TITANIUM TETRACHLORIDE BEING INTRODUCED IN THE FORM OF FINE GAS BUBBLES ADJACENT THE BOTTOM OF SAID CATHODE, ELECTROZING SAID MOLTEN MIXTURE BY PASSING AN ELECTRIC CURRENT THERETHROUGH, CIRCULATING SAID ELECTROLYTE UPWARDLY IN EACH ELECTROLYSIS ZONE AND LATERALLY INTO A SETTLING ZONE IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID ELECTROLYSTIC ZONE, AND FREEZING SAID ELECTROLYTE ADJACENT THE EDGES OF EACH SETTLING ZONE, THEREBY ELECTROCALLY ISOLATING SAID ZONE.