Process for producing titanium, zirconium, and alloys of titanium and zirconium by reduction of oxides of titanium or zirconium

Claim 1

THE PROCESS OF REDUCING A METAL OXIDE OF A REACTIVE METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM AND ZIROCONIUM WITH AT LEAST ONE REDUCING SUBSTANCE SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CARBON, SILICON, AND THE CARBIDES AND THE SILICIDES OF AN ALLOYING METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MOLYBDENUM, TUNGSTEN, NICKEL, CHROMIUM, ALUMINUM, IRON AND MANGANESE WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES MIXING POWDER OF A METAL OXIDE OF AT LEAST ONE OF SAID REACTIVE METALS WITH POWDER OF AT LEAST ONE OF SUBSTANCES, COMPACTING THE SO-MIXED POWDERS INTO AN ARC ELECTRODE, AND THEREAFTER MAINTAINING WITH THE SO-FORMED ARC ELECTRODE AND A COOPERATING OTHER ARC ELECTRODE AN ARC UNDER VACUUM WITH SUFFICIENT CURRENT TO MAINTAIN THE ARC AT A HIGH TEMPARATURE OF AT LEAST 3000*C. FOR CAUSING THE METAL OXIDE CONTENT OF THE COMPACTED ARC ELECTRODE TO BE REDUCED, AND PROPORTIONING THE REDUCING SUBSTANCE RELATIVELY TO THE REACTIVE METAL OXIDE OF SAID MIXED POWDERS TO PRODUCE THEREFROM A RESULTANT METAL BODY CONTAINING AT MOST 1% BY WEIGHT IMPURITIES OTHER THAN THE METALLIC CONTENT THEREOF, WHICH METALLIC CONTENT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF TITANIUM, ZIRCONIUM, AN ALLOY OF TITANIUM, WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ALLOYING METALS CONTAINING 5% TO 95% BY WEIGHT OF TITANIUM, AND AN ALLOY OF ZIRCONIUM WITH AT LEAST ONE OF SAID ALLOYING METALS CONTAINING 5% TO 95% BY WEIGHT OF ZIRCONIUM.