Method of producing refractory metals

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF A REFRACTORY FOURTH GROUP METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM AND HAXIUM BY THE INTERACTION OF A CHLORIDE OF SAID METAL AND A REDUCING METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKALI METALS AND THE ALKALINE EARTH METALS INCLUDING MAGNESIUM WHICH COMPRISES SIMULTANEOUSLY FEEDING A CHLORIDE OF THE METAL AND THE REDUCING METAL IN REACTIVE PROPORTIONS INTO THE REACTION ZONE OF AN ENCLOSED INVERTED VESSEL THE BOTTOM OF WHICH IS SEALED BY CONTACT WITH A MOLTEN SALT BATH, MAIN TAINING A PROTECTIVE SALT COATING ON THE REACTOR WALLS ADJACENT THE REACTION ZONE, WITHDRAWING THE REFRACTORY METAL SPONGE PRODUCT IN SOLID, ELONGATED COHERENT MASS SPONGE FORM FROM SAID VESSEL BY DOWNWARD MOVEMENT INTO SAID SALT BATH AS FORMED, IMPARTING LATERAL MOVENENT TO WITHDRAWN PRODUCT, REMOVING THE METAL SPONGE FROM THE BATH AFTER SAID LATERAL MOVEMENT BY PASSING IT UPWARDLY AND OUT OF SAID BATH AND SEPARATING THE THUS PRODUCED REFRACTORY METAL FROM THE ASSOCIATED SALT AND RESIDUES.